At the turn of the holiday season, a new year waits expectantly.  Most of us are contemplating goal setting or even changing a habit or two.  While we think and plan our next few months, we consider our decision to make a change.  We might start with taking down our decorations.  Then we move to the next task, which might involve cleaning the house, especially dusting the areas we never clean.  With each decision, we take one more step towards a solution.  Moreover, our decision to do is preceded by the most complex universe that is found inside us.  Our mind is the...

According to scientists, the human body defenses are a complex and multilevel network of innate and adaptive protections (Professor et al., 2021).  These defenses are more specifically called, the first, second, and third line of defenses.  Do you know that these human defense systems do not operate separately from one another?  In other words, the defenses will overlap one another to assault microbial invaders to their demise. First Line of Defense This line of defense includes any anatomical and physiological barriers that inhibit microbes from invading through the key portals of entry.  As some scientists say, “the skin forms a physical, chemical, and biological barrier that...

Do you know that there are around 260 different kinds of viruses infect human hosts (Professor et al., 2021)?  Needless to say, there are billions of viral infections around the world.  Furthermore, we briefly talked about the normal biota that lives among humans in the article How Infections Lead to Disease.  Research suggests that there are thousands of microbes in a health upper respiratory tract.  These bacterium and fungi include Streptococcus pyogenes, Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, and Staphylococcus aureus (pp. 576).  Do you remember when we talked about the “defenses” of the upper respiratory tract?  They are nasal hair, ciliary escalator, mucus, involuntary responses such...

Ask yourself this question, “What is an infection?”  Before you begin skimming through this article, take a second to think about the term infection.  If you believe an infection is a disease, then you may be surprised to hear that it is not!  Infection is the entry, establishment, and multiplication of pathogenic organisms within a host (Professor et al., 2021).  First, let’s survey the types of organisms that can become pathogenic.  A microorganism is a tiny living thing only visible under certain magnification and are bacteria, fungi, and viruses.  Viruses are acellular (without a cell membrane) microorganisms.  Helminths are not a microorganism...

“It’s just allergies!”  Who hasn’t heard someone say that before?  When we think of the term “allergies,” we think of pollen, cat dandruff, and even food.  Moreover, let’s look at a textbook version of the definition.  An allergen is an exaggerated immune response brought on by inflammation (Professor et al., 2021).  Inflammation is a localized or systemic reaction of redness, swelling, and pain on the body.  Huh?  How are allergies connected to inflammation?  I’m glad you asked!  Just like Ms. Fizzle and her eager students from the Magic School Bus, let’s take a dive into the human body to discover...

According to statistics, there are roughly 10 million people self-employed in the U.S today.4  Even though we went through a pandemic in 2020, the percentage of self-employed has increased over the last year.  Did you know that the average self-employed person makes a salary of $83,792?4  It should not be as shocking as it sounds since being your own boss is a popular thing today!  If that’s the case, then being your own boss means being in charge of ALL things including health insurance. One of the best benefits for being self-employed is getting to choose from a variety of health...