At the bottom of everything would be the tiny cells that make up your body. You cannot see cells because they're very, very small - smaller than the sharp end of the pin. Cells can divide and become different types for example, for example, nerve cells, muscle cells, or skin cells - and lots of others. Many cells don't live as long as you do - they die off after a certain amount of time and are replaced by brand new ones, which explains why your body can grow, your wounds heal and your bones join together again.
When cells multiply at a higher rate than they die, the operation is called cancer. Since the body contains a wide variety of types of cells, numerous kinds of cancer exist that produce many different symptoms. Cancer treatment has vastly improved in the past few years and helps people with cancer to reside longer and lead a better life, however the condition is still a huge problem worldwide along with a major reason for illness and death.
Just over 200 bones support your body and protect some of your organs - your brain, lungs and heart in particular. But your bones produce other functions, too: a number of them - for example, the long bones in your legs and arms - provide levers for your muscles, which could contract and relax, ensuring that you can walk around and carry out actions with your hands. Your bones also contain bone marrow, which produces your blood cells.
More than 24 separate bones form your spine and connect at the top to the base of your skull. Your spine holds your spinal cord, which contains nerve fibres that convey messages from your brain to your arms, legs and other organs. The ends of your bones in particular in many cases are covered by a strong and smooth material called cartilage - usually in spaces where two or more bones move against each other. These places are called joints, that can come in various forms and sizes, for example:
Ball and socket joints: In joints that you need to be able to move inside a wider range, you can find ball and socket joints, which allow you to move in various directions.
Hinge joints: These joints allow movement in only one direction - your fingers, toes, knees and elbows are great examples. To make these joints more stable, strong fibrous tissues called ligaments are attached to both bones that form some pot and hold them nicely together.
Saddle joints: You can find saddle joints, for example, in your thumbs, which can move sideways as well as backwards and forwards.
A thin membrane covers your joints so they can contain a little bit of fluid for lubrication. Muscles are attached to your bones through tendons and exert their force onto your bones by becoming shorter. Most joints have at least one pair of muscles attached to them to pull the joint in opposite directions.
Common symptoms when something isn't quite right with your bones, joints, or muscles are closely related to inflammation. Inflammation is your body's reaction to injury or irritation and shows itself through swelling, pain, redness and heat. When one or more of your joints shows these signs, the reason can sometimes be overuse or - on rare occasions - infection, in which case you may have a fever, too.
Common medical conditions that can affect your joints are inflammation due to overuse, breakage of the bone, 'wear and tear' or ongoing joint inflammation. Arthritis may in the long run lead to joint stiffness and distortion. Because bone cells continuously replace old bone with new bone, following a healthy diet that contains vitamins, protein, and calcium is important.
Our website is not responsible for the information contained by this article. Webworldarticles.com is a free articles resource thus practically any visitor can submit an article. However if you notice any copyrighted material, please contact us and we will remove the article(s) in discussion right away.
This article was sent to us by:
Sharon Carter at
02282011
1. Bronchitis: information about prevention and treatment
All articles in this directory are property of their respective authors. Additionally, read our Privacy Policy
© 2010 WebWorldarticles.com - All Rights Reserved. Partners: Gunblade Saga