Bones

Do you know how many bones does a baby have? It is a blind belief that babies have fewer bones than adults. But here the facts about bones are totally different. In fact, the children have more bones than adults, summing up to 350! Mostly, they are in the form of cartilage and might not be stronger. Whereas adults have only 206 bones in their body. It is one of the amazing facts about bones that more than hundred bones disappear as a baby grows to become an adult.

The bones of babies are softer and flexible which need careful handling. When the cartilage and bones merge together, it constructs a stronger bone. In case of fractures and damages the concerned person needs to go to the doctor. Meanwhile, there are possibilities to set their bones immediately. The skeletal structure is so important for a man and there should be proper practice of body movements.

Do you know how many bones does a baby have? It is a blind belief that babies have fewer bones than adults. But here the facts about bones are totally different. In fact, the children have more bones than adults, summing up to 350! Mostly, they are in the form of cartilage and might not be stronger. Whereas adults have only 206 bones in their body. It is one of the amazing facts about bones that more than hundred bones disappear as a baby grows to become an adult.

The bones of babies are softer and flexible which need careful handling. When the cartilage and bones merge together, it constructs a stronger bone. In case of fractures and damages the concerned person needs to go to the doctor. Meanwhile, there are possibilities to set their bones immediately. The skeletal structure is so important for a man and there should be proper practice of body movements.

The spine bone acts as the base and anchor for all other bones, which is vital for the skeletal framework of the body. There are 33 spine bones which are joined and work together to form the vertebral column. The 24 bones, to the top, are moveable with the remaining nine bones are fused together. The less flexible joints in the spine bones provide limited freedom of movement.

The bones in general can be classified into two types namely the compact bones and the trabecular bones. The compact bones are the denser bones, which cover 80 percent of the total body bone mass and the trabecular bones are spongy in nature. They cover the remaining 20 percent.

⇛ The largest bone of the human body is the femur which you can find in the thigh. And the smallest bone is the stirrup which forms the ears.

⇛ Everybody should wear a helmet and protective pads or masks, while driving or involving in any sports activity.

⇛ To support the bones, consume the daily food items with balanced percentage of calcium and vitamin D content.

⇛ By practicing the weight bearing exercise like walking, jogging, climbing, dancing, and running there will be expansion and regular growth to strengthen your bones.

⇛ You should avoid alcohol consumption and smoking which results in the bone diseases like osteoporosis.

Adrenal Gland

The glands responsible for the production of adrenaline are known as adrenal glands. The hormones help you cope with situations of extreme stress, danger or excitement. They not only produce adrenaline, but several other hormones as well. These hormones are important for different functions of our body.

Adrenaline and noradrenalin are notable hormones of adrenal glands. Another main class of hormones is that of corticosteroid hormones. To know completely What is Adrenal Gland, you also need to know about the structure and location of these organs of the body as well.

 Concerning adrenal gland location, a pair of them appears at the top of the kidneys. Therefore, you can also call them the suprarenal glands. Here, the one to the right looks like a triangle. On the other hand, the left gland exists in a semi-lunar shape. However, each of them consists of two main parts. The outermost part is the cortex. It is responsible for the secretion of corticosteroid hormones. Similarly, the inner part is the medulla. It produces adrenaline and noradrenaline.

Adrenal glands function is to produce corticosteroids. The pituitary gland stimulates them for work. In turn, the pituitary is stimulated by the hypothalamus. In other words, the secretion of hormones is controlled by the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus.

Cancer of the adrenal glands can lead to over-production of aldosterone. Specifically, you may term such a condition as hyperaldosteronism. An individual experiences fatigue. Meanwhile, they suffer from several other adrenal gland symptoms. They include headache, high blood pressure and weakness of the muscles. In addition, paralysis may occur in extreme cases.

To sum up, it is easy to prevent the disorders of the suprarenal glands. Firstly, you should try to avoid the excessive use of steroid drugs. Moreover, go for a frequent examination of the adrenal glands. For example, scans can help to detect any development of cancer and tumors at an early stage. The information about ‘what is adrenal gland’ will be very useful for you.

Hypothalamus

As you can see in the hypothalamus pictures, it measures about the size of an almond or pearl. It is an extremely important part of brain in human beings and other higher animals. Hypothalamus constitutes one of the four major components of diencephalon, while the other three are: thalamus, epithalamus and subthalamus. It is intimately associated with the function of autonomic & endocrine systems, formation of behavioral patterns, temperature control, reproduction, and so on.

With the help of hypophysis

, the hypothalamus develops a connection between endocrine system and nervous system in the body. A number of medical conditions have been found associated with this part of the interbrain that may arise out of various factors, and include nutritious, infectious, neoplastic and inflammatory disorders that are manifested by severe symptoms in the victim. As these problem areas are located inside the human brain, the diagnosis and treatment is not easy. However, if identified at an early stage, the symptoms can be relieved through medication.

The hypothalamic region in the posterior part of forebrain (diencephalon) initiates, facilitates and accomplishes a number of vital functions in the human body including hunger, circadian cycles, fatigue, sleep, thirst, attachment behaviors and parenting. The neurohormones (chemical substances of the nervous system) secreted by the organ are transferred to the pituitary gland that either inhibit or stimulate its secretary activities. Some of the vital functions of hypothalamus can be summarized.

It controls the secretion of hormones from the hypophysis which is an important part of the brain and master secretory organ in your body. Pituitary is associated with the release of eight essential hormones in the body; two of which are synthesized by the hypothalamus, while the remaining six are produced locally. Some of the other endocrine and exocrine functions of hypothalamus include the control of autonomic nervous system, maintenance of homeostasis, balance of emotions, regulation of hunger & thirst and check over the thermostat of the body.

Malnutrition, inflammation, neoplasm, infection or any other condition of this structure not only adversely affects its functions but also causes severe symptoms in the victim. Such signs need to be addressed as soon as possible. Originating from the adjacent structures, like optic chiasm, hypophysis or optic nerves, the benign or malignant tumors spread to affect the organ and lead to hypothalamic neoplasms. The clinical manifestations of the disorder include loss of vision, precocious puberty, macrocephaly and developmental delay. The frequently recommended treatment measures of the tumors include radiations and surgical therapy.

Hypopituitarianism is another ailment of brain in which pituitary gland and hypothalamus are integrated with each other, thus inhibiting the hormonal secretions of hypophysis and disturbing all the vital functions of the body that are regulated by the chemical substances produced therein. In this case, your health care provider may suggest hormonal replacement therapy as the disease results in the hormonal insufficiency in the body.

Brain

What a miraculous thing human brain is! It is one of the most powerful and marvelous creations of the Nature. It is known to have countless mysteries, the majority of which are still undiscovered and least understood. Your brain is a highly complex network of billions of neurons that render it the ability to think, feel, process information and produce responses. The question “What makes brain to initiate and accomplish the process of thinking” has not yet been answered properly. There are also a number of other related questions to which the researchers are trying to provide convincing answers. It has recently been discovered that, contrary to the earlier assumption, brain is not hardwired and can be changed or trained according to one’s will! Are you aware of the mind-blowing facts about your master organ? Well, it is high time to make yourself acquainted with some amazing realities about the human brain. This platform is specifically devoted to provide the readers with information that will not only be useful but also engaging and entertaining. Meanwhile, we also aim to keep you updated with the latest discoveries pertaining to the health, working and enhancement of brain.

Lymph Nodes

They behave like mechanical filters. The job of these mechanical filters is to kill and eliminate microbes present in the blood stream. The white blood cells (WBCs) or lymphocytes are produced by the lymph nodes. On the other hand, WBCs kill bacteria and viruses entering the body.

Lymph nodes are very small organs, measuring only about 1-2 cm in size. They form a network throughout the body. There are about 500 lymph nodes spread across various organs of the human body.

A lymph node gets its particular name from its location and relation with the body organs. For example, the cervical lymph nodes are present in the neck or cervical region of the body. They protect the tonsils and the pharynx. Here you should note that swollen cervical lymph nodes is an indication of the lymphatic system disease.

Lymph nodes in armpit are the axillary lymph nodes. Their job is to drain the chest region. You will find the mediastinal nodes near the sternum and the lung sacs. Meanwhile, for the drainage of the abdominal organs, there are the mesentery nodes.

Lymphatic System a Sewerage System: It won’t be wrong to compare the lymphatic system to a sewerage system. It has a networks of pipes to drain waste from every single body cell. The pipes in this system are defined as lymph vessels. The job of these vessels is to transport clear interstitial body fluid, that is, the lymph.

The Function of Lymph: The lymph is a watery fluid that flows in the lymphatic vessels. Its function is to help in effective draining mechanism.

Coordination of Drainage Mechanism: It is the muscles movements that coordinate the entire mechanism of draining. It is particularly because the lymphatic system has no specific pumping organs.

Bulging of Lymph Nodes: The lymph nodes bulge out in the presence of an infection. It is because, in case of an infection, they have to work hard to get rid of it.

Complementary Organs of Lymph Nodes: There are many organs in your body which protect the lymph nodes. They include spleen, tonsils, thymus and the adenoids. In addition to playing a protective role, these orangs are also complementary to the lymph nodes to form the immune system of body.

Lymphatic Circulation: About 2 liters of lymph fluid circulate in the body every day. During circulation, the lymph collects, destroys and eliminates foreign agents. Meantime, it also deals with the disease causing microbes.

Types of Lymphocytes: There are two types of lymphocytes or white blood cells that the lymph nodes produce. These are the B & T lymphocytes. The B-lymphocytes target bacteria and some viruses. Whereas the T-cells attack viruses in your body.

Parathyroid Gland

A number of vital functions in human body are controlled by biochemical substances, called hormones, which are chemical messengers released by either ductless or ducted glands directly into the blood stream or through ducts. Of all the hormone secreting glands in the body, the parathyroid gland is the smallest which is embedded in the thyroid gland or located on the rear side of it in the neck. There are four parathyroid glands located on the posterior side of the thyroid, measuring only about the size of a rice grain.

Because of the very small size, these endocrine glands weigh as low as 20mg or as high as 40mg. Usually, these are four in number, arranged in two pairs-one above and the other below-but some individuals have also been reported to have 6, 8 or even more. The two glands lying towards the head are termed as the superior parathyroid glands, while the other two lying on the lower side are known as the inferior parathyroid glands. Though the parathyroid glands are named after their close proximity with the thyroid gland, their functions are completely different from that of the neighbouring endocrine organ. Nervous and muscular systems are very sensitive to the concentration of calcium in the body that has to be maintained in a narrow range for their proper functioning. The hormone secreted by parathyroid gland (named after the gland as 'parathyroid hormone' or simply "parathormone") is responsible for the maintenance of phosphate and calcium homeostasis in the body, and is functionally opposed to calcitonin.

Though there are no pills or medications to cure the diseases of parathyroid gland, surgery and some other treatment measures have shown promising results.

Most of the parathyroid problems present themselves in their advanced stages, and some patients will not complain of any symptoms, until they are identified during routine diagnostic procedures.

Often the medical fraternity get confused with the diseases of the parathyroid gland and the blood calcium levels, as neither of these the conditions (diseases and calcium levels) have ever been found to synchronize with each other.

Most of the patients suffering from parathyroid disease have fluctuating blood calcium levels both in blood and bony structures.

The main function of the Parathyroid gland is to control the blood calcium levels within the range of 9-10 mg/dl which is done by the gastrointestinal absorption of calcium and its conservation in kidneys. It stimulates absorption of calcium from food and restricts kidneys from excreting excessive calcium in urine. If the blood calcium levels are low, the hormone would erode the bones to manage optimal blood calcium levels, thus making the bones weak and easily breakable. The gland also checks and regulates the levels of calcium deposition on the bones and their density.

Calcium not just makes the density of the bones and frames the skeletal system of the body, but is also vital to regulate and mediate nerve conduction and control of muscular activities (muscle contraction and relaxation). The electrical signals travelling from the tissues towards the master organ of the body (brain) are mediated with the help of calcium ions. The people who have blood calcium levels below the normal limits experience a sensation of prickling or extra-chill in their fingers along with severe muscular cramps in their legs.

Salivary Glands

Concerning the salivary glands definition, these are glandular structures present at various locations in and around the oral cavity, they are responsible for the secretion of important digestive enzymes and fluids that help in the digestion and lubrication of dietary substances in your mouth. Ptyalin or salivary amylase and lipase are secreted by these ducted exocrine glands and are responsible for the oral digestion of food. Composed of cluster of secretary cells, called acini, they also synthesize mucous, water and electrolytes that are then released into the collecting ducts. Among the different types of salivary glands, submandibular, sublingual and parotid are more important as each of which is assigned a particular task to perform. The large particles of food are ground into smaller ones that are then moistened and converted into a semi-solid mass of partly digested food (almost round in shape) which you tem as 'bolus'. Some painful medical condition may arise out of the malfunctioning of salivary glands which cause severe disturbances in the region but can easily be relieved through various treatment measures.

Based on their function and particular location in and around the mouth cavity, the saliva secreting organs can be divided into different types, viz. sublingual glands, submandibular glands, Von Ebnor's glands, parotid glands and minor salivary glands. Parotid is present behind the mandibular ramus and constitutes the largest of salivary glands that releases its serous secretions into the oral chamber through Stensen's duct. Pouring the mucus and serous fluids into the mouth through Wharton's duct, the submandibular glands are found beneath the jaws. As the very name suggests, sublingual glands are located beneath the tongue and contribute about five percent of the salivary secretions in the oral chamber. Scattered across mucosa in the mouth, there are about 800 to 1000 minor salivary gland parts or that are surrounded by connective tissue and secrete mucous that is delivered to the oral cavity through a shared excretory duct.

Spinal Cord

Measuring up to 18 inch in length, the dorsal neural tube gradually decreases in width while running downwards in the vertebral column, i.e. at the cervical regions the thickness is about 1/2 inch while reaching the lumbar vertebrae the size is reduced to just 1/4 inches in diameter. However, it is comparatively shorter in length than your bony spinal column and does not run along its entire length. On the whole, the ovoid structure of neural tube can be subdivided into 33 segments in human beings. Based on their association with the different regions of vertebrae, these segments can be grouped into five broader categories which are briefly described as under:

Cervical Segments

Being the anterior most segments of the spinal cord that run across seven cervical vertebrae, it is located along the neck region. The upper portion forms as many as eight pairs of cervical nerves which are named with the vertebra they emerge from, viz. C1, C2, C3, C4, ? C8. However, the C8 pair of cervical nerve emerges from the lower end of the C7 vertebral segment while all of other pairs emerge from the upper end of the respective vertebra.

Thoracic Segments

Running along the series of twelve T vertebrae in the thoracic region, they constitute 12 pairs of thoracic nerves each of which leaving the vertebral column below the associated vertebral division.

Lumbar Segments

It is one of the parts of spinal cord that is protected by five lumbar vertebrae, it gives rise to five pairs of nervous extensions each of which emerges below the associated vertebra.

Control of Reflexes
Another major task of this part of your CNS is the independent control and coordination of central nerve generators and certain reflexes. Such actions protect your body against dangerous stimuli by the generation and application of a quick response. Under such circumstances, the prolongation of response may inflict an irreparable damage to your body.

Ailments of the spinal nerve column are generally referred to as the disorders of central nervous system as it is its second major component. Besides injuries, a number of diseases have been identified affecting the region, viz. infections, inflammations, tumors, and degenerative disorders. Such spinal abnormalities are revealed through different clinical manifestations, like the loss of sensation, numbness, severe pain, and muscle weakness. The symptoms usually occur around the spinal cord but may also spread to arms and legs. For their amelioration, your health care provider may advise you different treatment measures mainly depending on the type and severity of the disorder, but the most frequently recommended strategies include drug administration and surgical therapy.

Trachea

Concerning trachea definition, it is an important anatomical structure that is an integral part of respiratory system in humans and other higher animals. Allowing the passage of air (respiratory gases) it connects larynx (voice box) and pharynx with lungs. The trachea location can be traced in the chest region, and it is made of soft bony material, called cartilage that allows great amount of flexibility for the efficient performance of its essential tasks. However, as the age progresses, it becomes rigid and hard, and is converted into bone. Apart from just gaseous exchange, it is also involved in the production of vocal sounds as one of the secondary trachea functions. As with other organs of your body, trachea is also vulnerable to a number of diseases that are commonly known as respiratory disorders, viz. tracheal stenosis, tracheobronchomalacia,

As you can see in the trachea pictures, the windpipe is structurally composed of incomplete rings, resembling the letter C in English which range from 15 to 20 in number. At the anterior end, the air passage is bound by a membranous structure, called larynx that contains vocal chords running horizontally across its mouth and forming voice apparatus in humans for the production of speech sounds. At the posterior end, it undergoes dichotomous branching, thus dividing into the two smaller tubes, viz. primary bronchi. Each of the primary bronchi runs into either of the lungs (i.e. left or right one) and allows the smooth and efficient passage of air (or the exchange of respiratory gases). Going deeper into lungs, further branching takes place in which bronchi are subdivided into bronchioles ultimately attaining the size of very small air sacs enclosed by respiratory membranes through which exchange of respiratory gases (carbon dioxide & oxygen) virtually takes place. With the help of incomplete rings, the anterior of the tube (lumen) can be narrowed down to accelerate the air passing through it when needed, e.g. while coughing.

Any ailment of the respiratory system may disturb the overall functioning of your body as it is responsible for the facilitation of the process of energy extraction from food. Forming front tubular part of the respiratory system, the anatomical structure, if attached by some acute or chronic disorder, results in the partial or complete collapse of airway system and often leads to the death of the individual. It is surprising to know that this is the organ system of your body which is exposed and extremely vulnerable to environmental hazards, especially in this highly polluted atmosphere. A number of tracheal ailments may arise out of various factors, like infectious and hereditary which include inflammation, tumor formation, cancerous outgrowth, obstructive disorders, etc. Tracheal stenosis is characterized by inflammation of the windpipe that may be relieved by endoscopy or surgical therapy. Formation of large tumor (benign or cancerous) in the lumen of trachea may cause the blockage of the air passage and death of the victim due to chocking. Though it is very difficult to avoid contact with respiratory diseases, proper care, preventive measures and early treatment of the abnormalities can save you from life long miseries.