Environmental Health: Infectious Diseases and Pollution
Infectious Diseases
Infectious diseases are those caused by pathogenic microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and fungi. Most organisms in nature are harmless to us, but those that can cause disease are called pathogens.
Air Pollution
Human activities, such as industry, heating, and traffic, can modify the composition of the air, adding compounds (gases and particles) that affect health.
Common Air Pollutants:
- Carbon Monoxide: Toxic to humans, affecting oxygen transport in the blood.
- Sulfur
Inflammation and the Immune Response
Major Portals of Antigen Entry into the Body
- Skin
- Respiratory tract
- Gastrointestinal tract
Possible Outcomes of Inflammatory Response
- Elimination of the causative agent
- “Walling off” of the inflammation from the rest of the body (delays the spread of bacteria or toxins) to allow for healing
- Persistence of the causative agent leading to chronic inflammation or spread throughout the body
Major Families of Adhesion Molecules
- Selectins
- Addressins
- Integrins
- Immunoglobulin superfamily
Activated Macrophages: Major
Read MoreTubular Function and Transport in the Kidney
TUBULAR FUNCTION
They perform intelligent functions of the kidney.
Tubular reabsorption:
-Proximal tubule:
65%-Loop of Henle: 15%, distal tubule: 10%
This dal a total of 90%, reaching 10% to the collecting tubules where most of resorbable 9 / 10 passing urine less than 1 / 10.
Peritubular capillary exchange
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Friendly forces in the peritubular capillary absorption:
Interstitial hydrostatic pressure: 6 mmHg.
* Colloid osmotic pressure in peritubular capillaries: 32 mmHg.
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Forces opposed to the
Read MoreThe Origins and Evolution of Life
1. What is Life?
We can define life through the lens of genetic code, which is used to construct proteins from a DNA sequence. The so-called border cases fall within the limits of living things.
1.2. Characteristics of Living Things
- Molecular Complexity: The composition of living organisms is highly intricate.
- Auto Maintenance: Living things incorporate foreign matter and energy, utilizing them to build their own components.
- Sensitivity: The ability to perceive changes in their environment and react
Understanding Sexual Dimorphism and Gender in Humans
28. Inducing Levels of Sexual Dimorphism and Female Pattern Endogenous in Humans
Sexual dimorphism is defined as variations in external appearance related to sex, such as shape, color, or size between males and females of the same species. Sexual dimorphism has implications for concepts of sex and gender in humans. Sex is a variable that involves some sexual differentiation processes that extend throughout the life cycle, involving biological, psychological, and social factors that are in constant
Read MoreA Comprehensive Guide to Bacterial Culture Media and Identification Techniques
Bacterial Culture Media
Agar is a solid culture medium that contains agarose, a gelatinous substance derived from seaweed, which allows it to solidify. Broth is a liquid culture medium used for growing bacteria in a liquid state.
Types of Media
- Selective: Media that favor the growth of particular microorganisms and inhibit the growth of others. Example: Mannitol Salt Agar (MSA).
- Differential: Media that distinguish between different groups of bacteria based on their biological characteristics. Example: