Pathogens Song

Flu Attack! How A Virus Invades Your Body

Immune System - Natural Killer Cell

 

Natural Killer Cells are the most aggressive white cells in the immune system. They make up about 5% to 15% of the total lymphocyte circulating population. They target tumor cell and protect against a wide variety of infectious microbes. Natural Killer Cells are a very important factor in the fight against cancer. Immune Stimulation is the key to keeping the white blood cell count high and giving the Natural Killer Cells a chance to fight cancer and other diseases.

ACUTE INFLAMMATION

The inmune system

http://www.innerbody.com/The immune and lymphatic systems are two closely related organ systems that share several organs and physiological functions. The immune system is our body’s defense system against infectious pathogenic viruses, bacteria, and fungi as well as parasitic animals and protists. The immune system works to keep these harmful agents out of the body and attacks those that manage to enter.

The human microbiome.

http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/microbiome/

Some use “microbiome” to mean all the microbes in a community. We and others use it to mean the full collection of genes of all the microbes in a community. The human microbiome (all of our microbes’ genes) can be considered a counterpart to the human genome (all of our genes). The genes in our microbiome outnumber the genes in our genome by about 100 to 1.

The Microbiome And Disease

Doctors have long viewed microbes as things to be gotten rid of. Viruses, after all, give us measles and the flu. Bacteria cause strep throat and food poisoning. But most microbes do not make us sick. And many are important for our health (see Your Microbial Friends).
As researchers learn more about the microbes that keep us healthy, we are coming to understand how subtle imbalances in our microbial populations can also cause disease—and how restoring the balance may lead to cures. Our new understanding may lead to more focused and effective treatments. Unlike modern antibiotics, which kill good microbes along with the bad, new drugs may kill only harmful bacteria while leaving the friendly ones alone. Others may nurture friendly bacteria, helping them outcompete the harmful ones.​

Here are just some of the health conditions that involve our microbes. Click the links or scroll down the page to learn more.

• Acne
• Antibiotic-associated diarrhea
• Asthma/allergies
• Autism
• Autoimmune diseases
• Cancer
• Dental cavities
• Depression and anxiety
• Diabetes
• Eczema
• Gastric ulcers
• Hardening of the arteries
• Inflammatory bowel diseases
• Malnutrition
• Obesity

Does Cooking Fruits and Vegetables Deplete Their Vitamin C Content | Education.com

Does Cooking Fruits and Vegetables Deplete Their Vitamin C Content | Education.com

Are Dark Green, Leafy Veggies Higher in Vitamin C Content Than Their Lighter-Colored Counterparts? | Education.com

Are Dark Green, Leafy Veggies Higher in Vitamin C Content Than Their Lighter-Colored Counterparts? | Education.com

Are Dark Green, Leafy Veggies Higher in Vitamin C Content Than Their Lighter-Colored Counterparts? | Education.com

Are Dark Green, Leafy Veggies Higher in Vitamin C Content Than Their Lighter-Colored Counterparts? | Education.com

SUPER TRACKER

https://www.supertracker.usda.gov/foodtracker.aspx

 

http://www.who.int/topics/millennium_development_goals/en/

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

The United Nations Millennium Development Goals are eight goals that all 191 UN member states have agreed to try to achieve by the year 2015. The United Nations Millennium Declaration, signed in September 2000 commits world leaders to combat poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation, and discrimination against women. The MDGs are derived from this Declaration, and all have specific targets and indicators.
The Eight Millennium Development Goals are:

• to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger;
• to achieve universal primary education;
• to promote gender equality and empower women;
• to reduce child mortality;
• to improve maternal health;
• to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases;
• to ensure environmental sustainability; and
• to develop a global partnership for development.

The MDGs are inter-dependent; all the MDG influence health, and health influences all the MDGs. For example, better health enables children to learn and adults to earn. Gender equality is essential to the achievement of better health. Reducing poverty, hunger and environmental degradation positively influences, but also depends on, better health.

Maps gallery

 The worldmapper

http://www.worldmapper.org/textindex/text_health.html


Global Health Observatory
Map Gallery 
http://gamapserver.who.int/mapLibrary/app/searchResults.aspx

Food and diet. Health news.

http://www.nhs.uk/LiveWell/Goodfood/Pages/Goodfoodhome.aspx

Nutrition essentials

BMI calculator 


HEALTH NEWS:
http://www.nhs.uk/news/pages/newsarticles.aspx?TopicId=Lifestyle%2fexercise

Healthy living: How to live longer

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/0/22019289

 

Some aspects of our health and vitality are governed by our genes and how our mother behaves during pregnancy, but many lifestyle factors, including fitness, diet and weight all impact on our ability to live a long and healthy life.

Start young.Even before we are born, our health can be affected by the lifestyle choices our mother makes. Studies have shown that if an expectant mother is highly stressed this may impact on their baby, leaving them less able to handle stress later in life.

Heavy drinking during pregnancy can lead to foetal alcohol syndrome in babies - which can cause a life-long learning disability as well as physical problems. Smoking can also affect their development. Research also suggests a pregnant woman's diet can increase her child's risk of obesity by changing the unborn baby's DNA.
Having a happy childhood may boost longevity, as a study suggests those who are unhappy in their youth have a greater risk of heart disease as adults.
Getting outdoors is also key, as sunlight is an important source of vitamin D. At present one in four children are deficient in this vitamin, which is needed for building strong and healthy bones. Vitamin D helps our bodies to absorb calcium and phosphorus from our diets.

Benefits of exercise

The pressures of home and family life can make it feel like there's little time to exercise. Aside from weight loss, there is a lot to gain from exercise and it can make a huge difference to staying healthy:

• Exercise means a healthier heart because it reduces several cardiovascular risks, including high blood pressure and heart disease
• Being physically active can bolster good mental health and help you manage stress, anxiety and even depression.
• Regular exercise can help you achieve and maintain an ideal weight and reduce the risk of diabetes
• Weight bearing exercise, such as running is especially good in promoting bone density and protecting against osteoporosis - which is when bones become thin, weak and break easily

Bone health: In childhood our bones are strong and, if they break, they usually repair quickly. When we get older this process slows down and our joints can become weak and fragile.We begin to lose bone density from our mid-30s, which is a normal part of ageing.Lifestyle factors such as having a calcium-rich diet and exercising frequently can keep bones healthy and minimise the risk of fractures. Sunlight exposure is also crucial to up levels of vitamin D.

Staying socially active:

The Okinawa - Japanese fishermen who live long lives

• Okinawa has around four times more centenarians than Britain
• Their most significant cultural tradition is known as hara hachi bu, which translated means eat until you're only 80% full
• In a typical day they consume around 1,200 calories - about 20% less than most people in the UK

• The towns where people live the longest
• What is the ultimate healthy meal?

We all know that friends are important for a happy life, but it has recently been discovered that friendship could actually help us live longer.

Studies on loneliness have found that social isolation is associated with a higher rate of death in older people and loneliness is the "hidden killer" of the elderly.
In a similar vein, research has shown that people who marry live longer than those who are single. The researchers believe that those who marry have better social support networks, minimising the risk of isolation.

Avoiding junk food :A good diet is central to overall good health, though avoiding certain foods and drinks may help prolong your life. Eating too much high-calorie food rich in simple carbohydrates (sugars) or fat could lead to weight gain or obesity.

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Some fats are known to be particularly bad for you. Trans-fats, made from hydrogenated vegetable oil, can be found in margarine, biscuits, cakes and fast food. It can raise the level of our 'bad' cholesterol, significantly increasing the risk of atherosclerosis which blocks arteries, leading to heart disease and stroke.
NHS watchdog NICE has called for them to be banned in food.
Reducing salt intake is also important to keep your heart healthy, as eating too much salt could lead to high blood pressure - which in turn may lead to heart failure, stroke and other complications.
Drinking too much alcohol can also have devastating effects on our health - not only can it leave us with a hangover the next day, but drinking more than the recommended intake on a regular basis can also cause long-term damage to the body's internal organs. Chronic misuse is one of the major causes of liver disease.
Ditching cigarettes is also key. Smoking increases your risk of more than 50 serious health conditions. It causes about 90% of lung cancers, damages your heart and your blood circulation, worsens respiratory conditions and affects fertility.

And finally, is it all in our DNA?

Although there are measures we can take to help us live a long and healthy life, there may be an element of luck involved - depending on our DNA.
Much research into ageing has been focused on the role of telomeres. These are the protective tips found at the end of chromosomes, sometimes likened to the tips of shoelaces. Their role is to safeguard the end of the chromosome and to prevent the loss of genetic information during cell division.
Each time our cells divide, the tips of our telomeres become shorter. Eventually they become so short, they stop our cells dividing which means the cells die, which is how we age.
Studies have revealed that longer telomeres have been linked to a longer lifespan, while shorter telomeres have been linked diseases such as heart disease and dementia. Longer telomeres can also be inherited by the next generation.
Maybe one day in the future, we will be able to predict how long we will live for.
For more information and advice, visit NHS Choices

Turn Your Smartphone Into a Digital Microscope!

Mitosis in onion roots.

By Ruben&Jose Manuel.