Organically, there is little difference between a ligament and a tendon. Chains of collagen cells from proteins stored in the body form them both. Functionally, the ligament and tendon are different. A ligament connects a bone to another bone and acts like a shock absorber. Whilst a tendon serves...
Tendons, also called sinews, are connective tissues that connect the muscles to the bone which send the mechanical force of muscle contraction to the bones. Muscle fibers connect the tendons to both the bone and the muscle. Composed mainly by spindle-shaped cells called fibrocytes and tough...
The medical term “rheumatism” covers a number of disorders that affect different parts of the body. People tend to think of it in conjunction with rheumatoid arthritis. Some think it is related to rheumatic fever, a complication of a viral disease called strep throat that can (in more serious cases)...
Carpal tunnel syndrome, if left untreated, can become very painful and interfere with a normal lifestyle. It is caused by the pinching of the median nerve, which is housed in the carpal tunnel. The nerve itself is not damaged, but instead, the tendons and muscles in the carpal tunnel become...
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition wherein the median nerve is pinched, and hand movement is restricted. The median nerve is located in the hand and runs all the way up to the forearm. The sensations that the thumb and forefinger experiences are controlled by the median nerve. This nerve also...
Flat feet is a medical condition wherein the arch of one foot drops down. In some cases, both feet can become flat. There are two main reasons for flat feet. The more common one is that the arches do not develop in childhood, hence resulting in flat feet as an adult. Babies actually have flat...
The cortical bone is made up of compact bone. Compact bone accounts for approximately eighty percent of a human beings skeletal mass. Along the shaft of long bones, such as the legs and arms, and the outer layer of the spongy bone found at the edge of joints are made of cortical bone. There are...
The phrenic nerves arise from the spinal column at the height of the neck. The left and right phrenic nerve follow a different path, but both find their origin mainly in the (cervical nerve) C4, but also in the C3 and C5 vertebrae of the neck. The part originating from the C5 is the accessory...
The world is out to get you. That's how I ended up feeling after compiling this list of horrifying, permanently scarring, eternally terrifying rare diseases. Genetic, infectious, parasitic and everything in-between, these 15 diseases scar their victims for life and scar us mentally having looked...
Life is full of hazards that can affect our health and well being. It is amazing that most of us are able to hurdle these obstacles and overcome the adversities we are faced with everyday without our bodies succumbing to illness due to these risks and the ever present pressures of life. But we...
