Bones are comprised of fibers of collagen which provide elasticity, and calcium which provides strength. As a normal part of aging, bones tend to lose both collagen and calcium. This loss of bone density with age is more pronounced in women than in...

Red blood cells function by carrying oxygen to every part of the body, and then carrying carbon dioxide back to the lungs. Red blood cells are very well designed to perform this important job. First, they are packed full of hemoglobin, which is an...

The basic function of the nervous system is to transmit messages from one place to another. The nerve cells which do this job are called neurons. Neurons can vary widely in their shape, but they all have several basic things in common. Like all cells,...

The inner ear consists of the cochlea and the semicircular canals. The cochlea serves to permit hearing...

There are three main types of cells within the blood, platelets, white blood cells and red blood cells. White blood cells are much larger than red blood cells, and platelets are much smaller than red blood cells. Red blood cells are the most numerous by...

The lungs are a vital organ which enables the body to obtain oxygen from the air we breathe, and to eliminate carbon dioxide. Breathing is accomplished with the chest wall muscles, and the diaphragm muscle, which separates the chest cavity from the...

The liver is a remarkably complex organ which serves as the chemical factory for the body. There is a very wide range of functions that are performed by the liver. One of these functions is to produce important proteins for the blood. Some of these...

You can't really see them, and they don't even hurt. Then why does your dentist want to pull your wisdom teeth? Early removal of wisdom teeth, also known as third molars, can save you needless pain and future trips to the dentist, says Dr. O. Ross...

Complaints about tired and uncomfortable eyes often go hand in hand with spending a lot of time in front of a computer screen. Although these symptoms, which are commonly known as eyestrain, are annoying, they do not signal that your eyes are being...

Creativity and a little self-knowledge help in overcoming the obstacles arthritis often poses to keeping fit and physically active. Older adults frequently cite osteoarthritis as a reason for not exercising. However, given the wide variety of...

To find clues to your future health, look to your family tree an important source of information about the genetic and environmental factors that combine to influence your personal health. Physicians use family health histories all the time to help in...

According to a study by researchers at John Hopkins University in Baltimore, USA, overweight people are more at risk of forming kidney stones compared with those people whose weight falls within normal limits. Kidney stones are deposits of minerals...