Vitamin D, Calcium, and Iron Metabolism: Deficiency and Toxicity
Vitamin D: Synthesis, Absorption, and Health
Synthesis of Vitamin D
Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is synthesized in the skin when 7-dehydrocholesterol reacts with UVB radiation (sunlight).
The liver converts it to 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], the main circulating form.
The kidneys further convert it to the active form: 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)₂D] (calcitriol).
Absorption of Vitamin D
Vitamin D2 and D3 from food or supplements are absorbed in the small intestine, especially with dietary fat.
Read MoreAnti-Inflammatory Drugs: Uses, Side Effects, and Physical Therapy Interaction
Anti-Inflammatory Drugs: Definition, Uses, and Risks
This document defines anti-inflammatory drugs, details their uses, outlines potential side effects, and discusses their crucial interaction with physical therapy protocols.
Definition of Anti-inflammatory Drugs
Anti-inflammatory drugs are medications designed to reduce inflammation, which is the body’s natural response to injury or infection. Inflammation often causes redness, swelling, heat, pain, and loss of function. These drugs help relieve
Read MoreEssential Biology: Bacteria Functions, Disease Prevention, and Health Facts
Beneficial Roles and Industrial Uses of Bacteria
Bacteria perform several vital activities, including:
- Aiding digestion and nutrient production in the human gut.
- Acting as decomposers in ecosystems to recycle organic matter and maintain soil fertility.
- Contributing significantly to the carbon and nitrogen cycles.
They are also crucial in industry, used for:
- Producing fermented foods like yogurt and cheese.
- Manufacturing antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals.
- Cleaning up oil spills (bioremediation).
- Controlling
Understanding Infectious Diseases: Epidemiology and Drug Resistance
Understanding Infectious Diseases and Public Health
1. Differentiating Epidemic, Endemic, and Pandemic
An epidemic is an outbreak of an infectious disease that spreads quickly, infecting a large number of people within a specific region or population.
If the disease remains consistently present within a determined geographic area or population at predictable rates, it is called endemic.
If the disease infects many countries or continents at the same time, spreading globally, it is called a pandemic.
Read MoreEssential English Vocabulary and Idioms for Fluency
Advanced Vocabulary and Professional Terminology
This section defines complex words and phrases, including business and financial terms, crucial for professional communication and advanced English comprehension.
- Appraisal
- An evaluation of something, often performance or value.
- Array
- A large group or collection of things or people.
- Badgering
- Repeatedly asking someone to do something.
- Bit of Wretched Genre of Literature
- A phrase expressing displeasure or disappointment.
- Carcass
- The dead body of an animal.
- Cavernous
- Something
Understanding Major Health Conditions and Risk Factors
Genetic Diseases and Their Causes
A genetic disease is a disorder caused by an alteration in a gene, known as a mutation. These mutations can occur randomly or as a result of exposure to certain environmental risk factors, such as tobacco smoke.
Environmental Factors Affecting Health
Environmental factors, such as certain chemicals, air pollution, or allergenic substances, also play an important role in the occurrence of diseases and the expression of certain genes.
Key Environmental Factors:
- Exposure