Acid Digestion – Acid digestion is the breaking down by chemicals of large molecules of food into molecules that are smaller and that can be used by tissue cells for nutrients. This breaking down begins when varies enzymes are mixed with the enzymes in the food we eat.
The natural digestion process begins with the chewing properly of the food. When swallowed the food enters the stomach which is laced with enzymes for digestion. These digestive enzymes then “pre-digest” the food for nearly an hour actually breaking down most of a meal.
Following this period of “pre-digestion”, hydrochloric acid as well as pepsin is added to the digestive process. This acid incapacitates all enzymes that were based in the food, and begins its acid digestion procedure of further breaking down the remaining food together with pepsin which energizes the acid.
Finally, this mixture of food rich in nutrients travels to the small intestine. The small intestine is where the acid is deactivated and digestive enzymes are provided by the pancreas to the digestive process. When the process is complete, the nutrients are then passed thru the walls of the intestines and into the blood system.
Tumors With Teeth and Hair : Teratoma is defined as tumors that have hair and teeth. There are teratomas, although rarely happen, that has eyes, torso, hand and feet. The feature of these teratomas resembles an unborn embryo. This type of tumor is believed to be of congenital origin and consist of more than one type of tissue.
Teratomas are also known as dermoid cyst, a mature teratoma that contains a lot of hair. Cancer staging system is used to classify teratomas in order to identify the need for a chemotherapy or radiation therapy I addition to therapy. A benign teratoma is graded 0 or mature teratoma and has the risk to become malignant. Classification is also based on the content of the tumor. Although congenital, some teratomas are diagnosed at a later period. Manifestations of symptoms depend on the location and its origin. An ovarian teratoma will manifest through pain in the abdomen and pelvis. Treatment of this type of tumor is often incision or complete removal of the tumor. Incision or resection is easily done since the tumor is encapsulated and non-invasive. In cases of malignancy, chemotherapy and or radiation therapy follows although in some cases of complexity due to locations, a chemotherapy is given first prior to surgery. It is however, teratomas are classified to be a rare condition.
Normal WBC Range: The normal WBC range is between 4,300 cells/cmm-10,800 cells/cmm. The count can also be expressed in international unit that range to 4.3-10.8×109 cells per liter. 7,000 to 25,000 of white blood may be contained in a drop of blood. In some laboratories the normal range varies. WBC or the white blood count is one of the components that make up the CBC or complete blood count test for a diagnostic procedure. An elevation in the white blood count or a decrease in the count may suggest certain conditions. The 5 major types of white blood cells consist of basophils, eosinophils, lymphocytes, monocytes and neutrophils each working together for a healthy immune system. Each type also has their own function to battle a foreign microorganism that attack human body.
Basophil responds to allergy and antigens by releasing histamine. Eosinophil responds to parasitic infection. Lymphocytes contain two types called the Tcells and the Bcells. Monocytes and neutrophils have the same phagocytosis function. A sample of blood is extracted from a vein usually from the inner elbow or at the back of the hand. An increased or high WBC may indicate an infection, inflammation and allergic reaction. Decreased in WBC may also suggest the same reaction. Leukocytosis is an elevated WBC while leukopenia is a decreased in WBC. White blood cell is essential to the body in combating infection. White blood cells are cells of the immune system circulating in the blood and lymph. It is produced in the hematopoietic stem cell or the bone marrow. White blood cell have shorter life cycle and they increase in count when a body is invaded by foreign microorganism. They act as soldier of human body by protecting and fighting invading foreign microorganisms.
Fever Blisters on Face: A face blister is a viral infection often resulting from facial eczema, allergic reaction, burn and diseases like chickenpox. Herpes simplex 1 is the virus responsible for this fever blister. It is highly contagious when blister is present and can be transmitted through skin contact on the case of face blister.
Fever blister is also known as cold sore. The appearance of a blister is like tiny bubbles filled with fluid and found clustered on cheek, chin, and areas near the eyes, nose and external lips. The skin tingles and itches prior to lesion formation. Fever, headache and irritability are also experienced before the blisters appear and this is regarded as the prodrome stage. Blister appears and is then on the blister stage. After the blister burst the weeping sore will appear then natural healing occur. The blister erupts and the virus is also then release. Blister eruption will leave an ulcer that dries up afterwards and leave no scars. This blister eruption and healing takes about 2 weeks.
Herpes virus stays in the body even after the fever blister. It recurs over in time and the frequency of recurrence decline when a person reaches the age of 35. There is no cure for fever blister other than relieving the pain and antibiotics to control secondary infection and topical ointments applied on the blister site. Preventing fever blister on face can be achieved such as avoiding exposure to sun for a long period of time, avoiding contact to people with active lesion and by maintaining or practicing a healthy lifestyle.
Microdeletion: A chromosomal error where a very tiny chromosome is missing. These errors happen during cell division of a fertilized egg thus affecting the developing embryo. The missing chromosome cannot be identified using a conventional method because of its very small size and detail. A technique called FISH or Fluorescent in Situ Hybridisation is employed to identify the tiny missing part in the chromosome.
Chromosome is vital in the developmental milestone and feature of every person. Thus, an aberration in the chromosome will result in the delay of such development as well as characteristic development. The result is mental retardation, physical deformity and or a combination of both.
Microdeletion identification is obtained through comparison of samples between DNA of patient and normal DNA samples. Although very tiny detail or very small size are missing it microdeletions, it can effect to different disorders or syndromes recognized through number of missing chromosome. These syndromes include; Angleman syndrome is characterized by a happy demeanor in the absence of a stimulus. Another defining character is speech impairment; Di George syndrome is a rare congenital disease affecting the immune system of an infant; Williams syndrome involves the deletion of elastin gene and patient with this syndrome have distinct facial feature; Prader-Willi syndrome is a copy pass down of parent to the infant mostly on paternal in origin.
Ascorbic Acid in Food: Are naturally found in fruits and vegetables. It is an organic compound derived from sugar. This ascorbic acid is better known as Vitamin C and valued for its antioxidant property. Inclusion in daily dietary intake help in fighting free radicals which is responsible for aging process in accumulation over time. Intake of Vitamin C also help in maintaining the capillaries and aid in forming collagen that is responsible for bone structure, cartilage, muscle and blood vessel. Iron absorption is also accounted for intake of this vitamin. However, vitamin C is water soluble and cannot be stored in the body. Most of the vitamin left will be excreted through urine.
Consideration should be given in preparing fruits and vegetables in order to maintain the content of vitamin C. It best that fruits and vegetables be served raw and fresh if possible and not to soaked the food in water since the vitamin dissolves in water. It also disintegrates in air so prepared vegetable and fruits should be kept in an airtight container and should not be stored for more than two days in the refrigerator to retain vitamin C content.
This vitamin can be best found in citrus fruit like orange, guava, honey dew, cantaloupe and kiwi. These fruit contain a high amount of ascorbic acid. Vegetables like broccoli and spinach contain high amount of ascorbic acid as well. A daily requirement of vitamin C for infant age 0-6 months is 40 mg/day and infant at 7-12 months are required at 50 mg/day. In children age 1-3 years the daily requirement for vitamin C is 15 mg/day, children age 4-8 years are required at 25 mg/day and children age 9-13 years are at 45 mg/day of daily vitamin C intake. Girls of 14-18 years of age should have a daily intake of vitamin C at 65 mg/day while boys of the same age bracket are at 75 mg/day. In women of age 19 years and up are required at 75 mg/day and for men of the same age bracket are at 90 mg/day. Smokers and those exposed to second hand smoke are however required an additional 35 mg/day intake of vitamin C since smokers are at high risk of losing vitamin C in the body. Deficiency of this vitamin will result to scurvy.
Cancer Antigen: A protein in the body also known as CA-125 or Carbohydrate Antigen 125. A biomarker for certain types of cancer and other benign conditions. Majority of this CA-125 is present and of higher concentration in women with ovarian cancer. This is why CA-125 is thought to be a biomarker or tumor marker.
CA-125 was discovered way back in the 1980’s derived from the use of monoclonal antibody. These antibodies can enable early detection of tumor and some antibody attached to tumor cells can also destroy tumor cells, a process known as ADCC (antigen-dependent cellular toxicity). The concentration of CA-125 is also elevated in inflammatory cases such as in the abdominal area. Amount of CA-125 in the body is measured using Blood Test CA-125 to monitor certain types of cancer specifically that of ovarian cancer. It can also be measured through obtaining chest fluid and abdominal cavity. Although normal value varies, a value less than 35 u/ml is considered normal in most laboratories.
Benign conditions can also cause elevation in CA-125 such as endometriosis, uterine fibroids and pancreatitis. Pregnancy and menstrual period can also cause increase in level of CA-125. A single test of CA-125 is not useful in monitoring or screening cancer because there are cases in which some patient does not have an elevated level of CA-125
Transaminase: A catalyst from transferase enzyme that is responsible for transformation of amino acid (an organic compound in protein) to a-keton acid (organic compound containing carboxylic acid group and a-keton group).
The two transaminases play a vital role in diagnosing hepatocellular disease and these are the AST (aspartate amino transferase) or SGOT (serum glutamic oxaloacetate) found in every tissue of the body especially in the cardiac muscle in high concentration and the ALT (alanine amino transferase) or SGPT (serum glutamic pyruvate) found in moderate high concentration in liver.
Transaminase concentration measurement is also important in diagnosing many diseases. Elevation in transaminases may indicate liver damage. Severe liver damage will present a very high transaminase elevation. One example of this is hepatitis; an injury in the liver due to insufficient blood flow may be caused by drugs or other toxins. For clinical chemistry, a serum or heparinized plasma is collected. In specimen collection, transaminase can stay in the serum for 6 hours if stored in a temperature of 25 degree C to 35 degree C. It can stay for 7 days if stored in a temperature of 2 degree C to 8 degree C. It can stay for one month provided it is stored at -20 degree C temperature.
