Eye surgery (PRK)

Photo refractive Keratectomy 

(PRK)

There are many common problems that can affect the eye and prevent light rays from folk as for me on the retina three of these problems are:  Myopia or nearsightedness, hypertrophy, or farsightedness stigmatic. These can be reduced use of PRK laser surgery. In either case PRK laser surgery can be used to flatten all or part of the cornea allowing your doctor to cause the focal point of light and creamy to fall more closely to the center of the surface of the retina. PRK is a simple and non-intrusive procedure that is designed to reduce or eliminate the need for glasses or contact lenses PRK laser surgery generally does not have any effect on a patient's overall health and there are no risk in choosing not to have surgery.

Hemodialysis

Hemodialysis

Kidneys 

Hemodialysis is the usual way to treat advanced kidney failure. The dialyzer machine filters salts and wastes, and extra fluids from the blood when the kidneys are not healthy enough to do this function. For this procedure to be achieve an access needs to be created to obtain blood from the body to the dialyzer and then return the filtered blood to the body. 

Hemodialysis can help the body to control blood pressure and balance electrolytes such as bicarbonate, calcium, and potassium in the body. In most cases this procedure it's starts off when the kidneys of the individual have shut down to a certain point is life threatening. Arteriovenous fistula is a vascular access also recommended when it comes to kidney failure.   Peritoneal dialysis is another method to perform the kidneys function. Throughout this dialysis process, blood vessels in the abdominal lining substituted for the kidneys, with the help of removing fluid that comes in and out the peritoneal space.

Facts of the Digestive System

Digestive System 

Did you know 

• Did you know that we eat approximately around 500 kg of food per year.
• Our mouth can either slightly cooled or warmed food to a more comfortable temperature. 
• Even if you eat upside down the constrict and relax wavelike of striated muscles would still be able to get food to your stomach. 
• Did you know that some detergent have the same enzymes the digestive system provides to break down food. Enzymes like: amylase (carbohydrates), lipases (fats), and proteases (protein) some found in saliva, stomach, and small intestine. 
• The digestive system is primarily where more cancers are found, than any other organ in the body. 
•  Chief cell, parietal cells, and mucous cells that formed the inner wall of the stomach secrete about 2 liters of hydrocloric acid each day. Hydrochloric acid helps to kill bacteria. Powerful chemicals found in some cleaning supplies like toilet cleaners include this acid. 
• Peristalsis in the stomach and small intestines causes the rumbling also called borborygmi sound due to no excess of food left in the stomach. The small intestines sends signals to the brain and the brain responds by sending signals to the small intestine muscles to start the process of peristalsis, 

Branch of Grapes- Emphysema

Encounter

 Emphysema

Emphysema, is chronic lung disease, that mainly causes shortness of breath due to gradually damages of the air sacs (alveoli). Emphysema is consider to be a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or  (COPD). The reason emphysema is consider to be among COPD diseases is because airflow movement on exhalation is slowed or stop. This happens when the alveoli sacs oversized, causing the alveoli sacs to not exchange gasses when the individual breaths. What causes emphysema you may ask? Smoking is the primary cause of emphysema.

My 93 year old grandmother, has emphysema. It was around the 1950's when smoking was the popular recreation drug around. She smoked cigarettes until she was 60 years old and started smoking around her 20's. Although she smoked throughout a long period of time, another main reason why she has emphysema today is the continuous cooking with charcoal and coal. Her doctors mentioned to members of the family that her health will continue deteriorating because of her age and the high exposure that through time she has put her lungs into. In my grandmother's lungs. Her alveoli sacs are cluster together like branch of grapes. Through this disease her alveoli have weaken to a point rupture. Not permitting oxygen to reach to her bloodstream. A note that I have taken to heart from her was to never smoke in my life time.

TORI

EXTRA BONE TISSUE IN THE MOUTH 

The cause for a mandibular or maxilla tori is exostosis, which is the formation of new bone in the outer layer of bone. Some individuals come to think that the large tissue shown in the mouth is oral cancer. Oral cancer in most case is shown by discoloration and small bumps in some areas of  the mouth. While the large majority of extra bone growth are non cancerous, it is important to biopsy the tissue. The enlarge bumps mostly are found under the tongue, the palate, outside between gums and cheeks. The extra tissue can be remove by an oral surgeon. This extra bone tissue in the mouth, is very common to have and are not dangerous health wise. Although the oral bone growth can causes the teeth's to shift in one direction depending where the tori is located. In some case the individual with this conditions is obligated to remove the tori because it can be a discomfort when eating or speaking.     

ALS

Encounter 

Nervous System 

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis 

You are not you 

  Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis  (ALS) is a fatal neurological disease that intervenes with the function of  nerve cells in the central nervous system resulting involuntary and voluntary muscles to weaken in the process. There has many cases of the years of individuals with this disease, a good example is the famous physicists Stephen Hawking who suffers from ALS through out his life. The movie "You are not you" directed by George C. Wolfe shares the story of female pianist who's has ALS. The story plot of this movie brought to my attention the physiological and emotional challenges that the protagonist was going through. In part of her neurological disease she end her successful career as a pianist and straggles to maintain close to relatives and friends. Through the movie her state of health deteriorates and show how she is not in control of her own body no more. She relies on her caregiver who life change because of the pianist who inspired how important life is when you have good health.    

Cardio Vascular System

Cardio Vascular System 

Blood Vessels 

There are three types of blood vessels in the body: arteries, capillaries, and veins. These are fundamental for the circulatory system. Arteries are the largest blood vessel, that are composed of a thick outer layer (tunica adventitia) made of connective tissue and smooth muscle and endothelium tissue in the inner layers (tunica media, tunica intima). The thickness of the arteries supports it's purpose, which is to deliver highly pressurized oxygenated blood from the heart to tissues in the body. Veins are have also three layers.  The main difference is the veins, the endothelium wall is thinner, this is because the pressure from the heart has less blood  pressure. The veins in their structure have valves to help grasp blood as it made be fighting gravity and so it helps to continue moving blood to the heart. The skeletal muscle in the inner layer ( tunica media) helps the blood moving by contraction. Capillaries are the smallest blood vessels. Capillaries connect arteries with veins. This smallest vessels web together to exchange oxygen, nutrients, and waste for all body cells. Capillaries can be really small that even blood cells can move single file through them. The volume of blood is distributed through this blood vessels: 30% of blood is found in the arteries, 5% of blood in the capillaries, and 65 % of blood in the veins. 

Circulatory system

                                     CIRCULATORY SYSTEM

TERMINOLOGY 

atria - Two superior chambers of the heart, serve as receiving chambers

ventricles - the two lower chambers of the heart, and they pump blood out to the lungs and body.

aorta - the large trunk artery that carries blood from the left ventricle of the heart to branch arteries.

superior vena cava - large vein that brings oxygen poor blood from the upper part of the body to the right atrium.

inferior vena cava - brings oxygen poor blood from the lower part of the body to the right atrium.

pulmonary arteries - carries oxygen poor blood from the right ventricle to the lungs to pick up oxygen and release carbon dioxide waste. 

pulmonary veins- a vein carrying oxygenated blood from the lungs to the left atrium of the heart.

Adipose Tissue

Brown Adipose Tissue
 

     In histology class we went over adipose tissue, what is compose of and what are the main functions of this tissue. Adipose tissue is found under the skin and in between organs. There are two types of adipose tissue: white adipose tissue and brown adipose tissue. White adipose tissue helps the body to store energy and brown adipose helps to generate heat. Brown adipose tissue is most commonly be found in babies. Once it was thought the adults did not posses any brown adipose tissue, but we do have a little of brown tissue in our bodies. Spending time in the cold makes brown adipose tissue to activated and even produce new adipocytes cells. Brown adipose tissue helps a new born to stay warm seen they don't have the ability to shiver. In adults brown tissue serve as like a internal heat jacket, keeping blood warm as it flows through the body. 

Nervous System

Vocabulary Nervous System 

Nervous System- controls and coordinates functions throughout the body and responds to internal and external stimuli; system

Neurotransmitters - contained in sacs in axon terminals; released to cause stimulus in the next cell; chemicals.

Neurons- cells that transmit impulses.

Action Potential - reversal of charges across the cell membrane of a neuron as an impulse passes

Threshold- minimum level of stimulus needed to activate a neuron

Resting potential - electrical charge across the cell membrane of a neuron

Myelin Sheath- insulating membrane around axon; creates nodes; keeps impulses moving along the axon = more efficient.

Axon - long fiber that carries impulses away from the cell body

Dendrites - short branched extensions that carry impulses towards the cell body

Cell Body- largest part of the cell; contains cytoplasm and nucleus; controls metabolic activity

Reflection Histology Book

Histology Book 

               Histology is the study of the microscopic structure of tissue. The image shown above is the seventh edition book of a text and atlas. So far in our histology class we have study thoroughly chapters 1 to 8. Each of the chapters that we have already study have a great educational format to study tissues. I personally think that this histology book is well organized, each chapter is sectioned by color. Because the chapters are well organized in sections, it is easy to follow and understand the information on them. The book provides great imagining of each type of tissue, and all of them explain in detail what microscopic picture shows. At the end of the chapter there is a short summary and larger pictures showing various structures of the tissue discuss in the chapter. Each chapters focuses in depth on procedures, samples, terminology, and identification on the various type of tissues. In my opinion I think this is a great book to study and even keep after the course is over.  

Depressed Skull Fracture

Depressed Skull Fracture

Depressed skull fracture, Its a type of fracture of one more fragments of bones press inward on the brain. Some individuals who have suffer this type of bone fracture in their heads can leave a normal life with no complications. Here is an x-ray imagine of a depressed skull fracture looks like.  

                                                  

Most cases of depressed skull usually occur to new born babies. These is because new born after their birth are still in the earliest process development, specially if their bones are still very fragile. The soft spot on the back of their heads that is called posterior fontanelle, where most fractures can easily occur. Bones are made up of calcium, phosphorus,sodium and other minerals, and protein collagen calcium which in need to make bones hard, which allows to support weight. Parts of our skull is form by flat bone. Flat bones are composed of two thin layers compact bone and cancellous bone. Depressed skull fracture can also happen to adults in a case of  a major activity accident. Many people who have Depressed skull injuries are in risk of brain trauma or death brain tissue. There are cases in which people have survive depressed skull fractures and have lived a normal life. 

Cartilage Joints

Encounter 

Cracking your knuckles joints does not cause arthritis.

     It has been said that cracking your knucles throughout your lifetime will eventually cause arthiritis. Seen I can remeber the bad habit of craking joints runs around my family. My mother specially cracks her finger approximately 5 or more times a day. It got to the point that when growing up she will crack her fingers first and will continue with mine. Now I have the same bad habit as her.
    I realize that I only crack my finger joints when I have anxiety, stress, and specially when I'm nervous. Cracking my knuckles has become an everyday thing and it got a lot worst when I started college.
The sound of cracking, popping, grinding and snapping noises can it be a harmless habbit?
    Cartilaginous joints are made of cartilage that binds bones together. Our fingers and joints are held in place by ligaments and tendons. The movement in our extremities are controlled by forearm muscles pulling on our finger tendons. Fibrous joints are compose of collagen fibers. Syndesmosis joints holds the ulna and the radious of the forearm together.
    Arthiritis is cause by inflammation of the joints. Many cases of arthritis are caused by autoimmune problems, bacterial infections or sexually transmitted diseases. Studies have been done among the worst knuckle crackers and the results have shown no signs of arthritis. However, the more the joints are cracked over time, more damage to the ligaments and tendons, that can reduce the grip and stregth of the fingers.
    My mother is now 45 years old and she has never suffer from any type of arthritis, but over the pass few years she has suffer of pains and cramps in her hands. If I keep cracking my knucles I might have the same ligaments and tendons problems in the future. 

Ghost Heart

Ghost Heart!

   The medical miracle is called. It's a big step closer for millions of people who are in need of new organs. The "ghost heart" is an experimental framework for growing new humans hearts. The "ghost heart" in the picture below has been decelluralized. What does this mean? Decellularization is a tissue engineering technique design to remove all the cells from a donor organ, leaving nothing but connective tissue that used to hold the cells in place. The donor heart can then be reseeded with a patient's own cells. The goal of this experiment is to regenerated an organ that can be transplanted into the patient without fear of tissue rejection.  It's called "ghost organ" for it's pale and almost translucent appearance.

Histology Terminology

Natalia Tamayo

Aplasia- Lack of development of an organ, tissue, or cell.
Histophology- The study of diseases in the tissue.
Hemopoesis- Blood formation
Basement Membrane- A non-living of fibers that cements the epithelial to the under lying the connective tissue.
Stratified- Arranged in layers
Goblet cell- Solitary mucous that segregates and expels useful products.