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The 25th of April marks World Malaria Day. Malaria is a disease contracted from mosquito bites. Specifically, from mosquitoes that are infected with a parasite from the genus plasmodium. (1) When an infected mosquito bites your skin, it can transfer the parasite to you. (2) These parasites travel to the liver where they mature. The […]READ POST
Skeletal muscle is one of the three main types of muscle found in the body; cardiac and smooth muscle being the other two. Skeletal muscles are under voluntary control and are responsible for moving our bodies. Let’s explore the anatomy of skeletal muscle starting with one of the smallest units, the myofibril. Myofibrils are contractile […]READ POST
March marks Brain Injury Awareness Month. Let’s explore one of the more common types of brain injury, a concussion. A concussion is classified as a mild traumatic brain injury. A concussion may be caused by a large impact or trauma to the head. Concussions can also be caused by rapid acceleration and deceleration of the […]READ POST
With the new release of Dune: Part 2 coming out shortly, some of you may be familiar with the impressive stillsuit worn by the main characters. This ingenious concept collects the body’s moisture through its sweat or urine. It then filters the impurities out to create drinkable water. An ideal resource while spending days out […]READ POST
A coronary artery bypass or coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) is a surgical procedure used to treat coronary heart disease. When the major arteries become clogged by fatty substances, a CABG diverts blood flow around the congested parts and aids in oxygen supply to the heart. It is estimated that around 200 million people in […]READ POST
Simply put, myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle. Although it is a rare condition, it can develop from a viral infection, a drug reaction, or as a general inflammatory condition. This is a serious condition as the inflammation can reduce the ability of the heart to pump blood and in severe cases the heart […]READ POST
January marks Glaucoma Awareness Month. Glaucoma is a condition that affects the eyes. It can be caused by a number of factors. The most common cause is the build-up of fluid in the anterior chamber of the eye due to the fluid not being able to properly drain. This in turn can lead to increased […]READ POST
At this time of year, there are different seasonal worries. In the southern hemisphere, where it is summer, rhinitis can be more prevalent. While in the northern hemisphere, where it is winter, the flu is more widespread. Rhinitis is inflammation and swelling of the nasal passageway. This is caused by a trigger or allergen that […]READ POST
In terms of medical terminology “hyster” refers to the uterus and “ectomy” refers to the surgical removal of. Therefore, a hysterectomy is the removal of the uterus and most likely the cervix. Depending on the circumstances other tissues may also be removed in this procedure. In this post we will focus in on the four […]READ POST
Throughout history medicine has had some questionable procedures that were carried out on numerous patients. Today most of these procedures can be compared more to torture than an actual cure. In the spirit of Halloween and all things spooky, here are some examples of procedures that thankfully went out of favor. Lobotomy- The neurologist Antonio […]READ POST
