Archive for category Health
Causes of brain damage
*10 Biggest Brain Damaging Habits *
1. No Breakfast [image: Chef]
People who do not take breakfast are going to have a lower blood sugar
level. This leads to an insufficient supply of nutrients to the brain
*causing brain degeneration.*
2. Overeating [image: Chocolate Bunny] [image: Picnic Table]
*It causes hardening of the brain arteries, leading to a decrease in
mental power. *
3. Smoking [image: Smoking]
It causes multiple brain shrinkage and may lead to Alzheimer disease. *
4. High Sugar consumption * [image: Milk Shake]* *[image: Sweet]*
Too much sugar will interrupt the absorption of proteins and nutrients
causing malnutrition and may interfere with brain development. *
5. Air Pollution
The brain is the largest oxygen consumer in our body. Inhaling polluted
air decreases the supply of oxygen to the brain, bringing about a
decrease in brain efficiency.
6. Sleep Deprivation [image: Counting Sheep]
*Sleep allows our brain to rest. Long term deprivation from sleep will
accelerate the death of brain cells. *
7. Head covered while sleeping [image: Alarm Clock 3]
Sleeping with the head covered increases the concentration of carbon
dioxide and decrease concentration of oxygen that may lead to brain
damaging effects.
8. Working your brain during illness [image: Boys Night Out] [image:
Studying]
Working hard or studying with sickness may lead to a decrease in
effectiveness of the brain as well as damage the brain.
9. Lacking in stimulating thoughts
Thinking is the best way to train our brain, lacking in brain
stimulation thoughts may cause brain shrinkage.
10. Talking Rarely
[image: Talk To You Later]
Intellectual conversations will promote the efficiency of the brain
Endocrine
In relation to my earlier posting, I have relayed that the usage of HDPE in ketupat nasi packing may affect the endocrine system(ES) of human body resulting diseases such as diabetes and tyroid etc. Lets us try to digest some of the factors related to ES i.e. cell(s) termed as gland(s).
What is Gland (s)?
Answer: A cell, a group of cells, or an organ that produces a secretion for use elsewhere in the body or in a body cavity or for elimination from the body. Any of various organs, such as lymph nodes, that resemble true glands but perform a non secretor function. In Botany it means an organ or a structure that secretes a substance.
According to McGraw Hill Professional, Gland is a structure which produces a substance or substances essential and vital to the existence of the organism and species. Glands are classified according to (1) the nature of the product; (2) the structure; (3) the manner by which the secretion is delivered to the area of use; and (4) the manner of cell activity in forming secretion. A commonly used scheme for the classification of glands follows.
1. Morphological criteria
1. Unicellular (mucous goblet cells)
2. Multi Cellular
1. Sheets of gland cells (choroids plexus)
2. Restricted nests of gland cells (urethral glands)
3. Invaginations of varying degrees of complexity
1. Simple or branched tubular (intestinal and gastric glands)—no duct interposed between surface and glandular portion
2. Simple coiled (sweat gland)—duct interposed between glandular portion and surface
3. Simple, branched, acinous (sebaceous gland)—glandular portion spherical or ovoid, connected to surface by duct
4. Compound, tubular glands (gastric cardia, renal tubules)—branched ducts between surface and glandular portion
5. Compound tubular-acinous glands (pancreas, parotid gland)—branched ducts, terminating in secretor portion which may be tubular or acinar
II
Mode of secretion
6. Exocrine—the secretion is passed directly or by ducts to the exterior surface (sweat glands) or to another surface which is continuous with the external surface (intestinal glands, liver, pancreas, sub maxillary gland)
7. Endocrine—the secretion is passed into adjacent tissue or area and then into the bloodstream directly or by way of the lymphatic; these organs are usually circumscribed, highly vascularized, and usually have no connection to an external surface (adrenal, thyroid, parathyroid, islets of Langerhans, parts of the ovary and testis, anterior lobe of the hypophysis, intermediate lobe of the hypophysis, groups of nerve cells of the hypothalamus, and the neural portion of the hypophysis)
8. Mixed exocrine and endocrine glands (liver, testis, pancreas)
9. Cytocrine—passage of a secretion from one cell directly to another (melanin granules from melanocytes in the connective tissue of the skin to epithelial cells of the skin)
III
Nature of secretion
10. Cytogenous (testis, perhaps spleen, lymph node, and bone marrow)—gland “secretes” cells
11. Acellular (intestinal glands, pancreas, parotid gland)—gland secretes non cellular product
IV
Cytological changes of glandular portion during secretion
12. Merocrine (sweat glands, choroids plexus)—no loss of cytoplasm
13. Holocrine (sebaceous glands)—gland cells undergo dissolution and are entirely extruded, together with the secretor product
14. Apocrine (mammary gland, axillaries sweat gland)—only part of the cytoplasm is extruded with the secretor product
V
Chemical nature of the product
15. Mucous goblet cells (sub maxillary glands, urethral glands)—the secretion contains mucin
16. Serous (parotid gland, pancreas)—the secretion does not contain mucin
Now we refer to Britannica Concise Encyclopedia defining the term ‘Gland”: It states, the gland means the collection of cells or tissue that removes specific substances from the blood, alters or concentrates them, and then either releases them for further use by the body or eliminates them. Typically, the functional cells of a gland rest on a membrane and are surrounded by a meshwork of blood vessels. Endocrine, or ductless, glands (e.g., pituitary, thyroid, adrenal) discharge hormones into the bloodstream directly rather than through ducts (see endocrine system). Exocrine glands (e.g., digestive, mammary, salivary, sweat) discharge their products through ducts. For more information on gland, visit Britannica.com.
Columbia University Press Encyclopedia defines gland, organ that manufactures chemical substances. A gland may vary from a single cell to a complex system of tubes that unite and open onto a surface through a duct. The endocrine glands, e.g., the thyroid, adrenals, and pituitary, produce hormones that are secreted directly into the bloodstream (see endocrine system). Exocrine glands secrete their substances onto an external or internal body surface. Most exocrine glands, e.g., the salivary and lachrymal glands, release their secretions through ducts. However, some open directly onto a body surface, as in the sebaceous glands of the skin and the digestive glands of the intestinal mucosa. A simple exocrine gland may consist only of a tube lined with secretor cells. In more complex types, clumps of cells produce the secretion and a duct or system of ducts discharges the secreted material. Some glands have dual functions, e.g., the liver, pancreas, ovary, and testis produce both a secretion that is emitted through a duct and a hormone that is taken up by the blood. Such structures are called mixed glands. Among the substances produced by exocrine glands in humans are sweat, lubricants like mucus and tears, and digestive juices. There are specialized exocrine glands in the animal world that produce such substances as the shells of bird eggs, spider webs, and the cocoons of the silkworm larvae. Simple glands are also common in the plant kingdom. The sweet nectar of flowers and the resinous pitch of pine trees are substances produced by plant glands.
Houghton Mifflin Company Health states that glands mean organs or groups of cells that take substances from the blood and change them chemically so that they can be secreted later for further use by the body. There are two kinds of glands: those that secrete their substances directly into the bloodstream (endocrine glands), and those that secrete their substances through channels or ducts (such as sweat glands and salivary glands).
- A cell, a group of cells, or an organ that produces a secretion for use in or for elimination from the body.
- Any of various organs, such as lymph nodes, that resemble true glands but perform a non secretor function.
What say Wikipedia about gland?
A gland is an organ in an animal’s body that synthesizes a substance for release such as hormones, often into the bloodstream (endocrine gland) or into cavities inside the body or its outer surface (exocrine gland).
Types of gland
Glands can be divided into two groups:
- Endocrine glands- are glands that secrete their product directly onto a surface rather than through a duct.
- Exocrine glands- secrete their products via a duct, the glands in this group can be divided into three groups:
- Apocrine glands – a portion of the secreting cell‘s body is lost during secretion. Apocrine gland is often used to refer to the apocrine sweat glands.
- Holocrine glands – the entire cell disintegrates to secrete its substances.
- Merocrine glands – cells secrete their substances by exocytosis. Also called “eccrine.”
Formation
Every gland is formed by an in growth from an epithelial surface.
This in growth may from the beginning possess a tubular structure, but in other instances glands may start as a solid column of cells which subsequently becomes tabulated.
As growth proceeds, the column of cells may divide or give off offshoots, in which case a compound gland is formed.
In many glands the number of branches is limited, in others (salivary, pancreas) a very large structure is finally formed by repeated growth and sub-division.
As a rule the branches do not unite with one another, but in one instance, the liver, this does occur when a reticulated compound gland is produced. In compound glands the more typical or secretor epithelium is found forming the terminal portion of each branch, and the uniting portions form ducts and is lined with a less modified type of epithelial cell.
Glands are classified according to their shape.
- If the gland retains its shape as a tube throughout it is termed a tubular gland.
In the second main variety of gland the secretor portion is enlarged and the lumen variously increased in size. These are termed alveolar or saccular glands.
Can a diabetes patient takes coffee?
There are many health complications associated with diabetes that can be reduced by making positive changes in your coffee consumption. By cutting back on coffee, you can better manage your blood sugar and your health. Here are the top 5 reasons kicking the coffee habit can help you stay healthy with diabetes.
- Raises Blood Sugar Levels
One study suggests that caffeine intake may interfere with the body’s ability to remove sugar from the blood leading to an increase in blood sugar levels. This can make it more challenging for diabetics to regulate their blood sugar. Have you ever had one of those days when you can’t figure out what is making your blood sugar high? Keep a food diary and see if your blood sugar runs high when you drink coffee. Once you have kicked the coffee habit watch to see if there are improvements. - Can Lead to Insulin Resistance
Insulin resistance is a major factor in Type II diabetes. This occurs when a person makes enough insulin but it is not working properly leading to high blood sugar levels. Studies suggest that even moderate caffeine consumption may contribute to insulin resistance leading to high blood sugar and increased risk of weight gain. The good news for type II diabetics is that decreasing coffee intake may help you to manage your blood sugars and your weight more effectively. - Increased Heart Attack Risk
Diabetics are already at an increased risk of developing heart disease. Studies show a correlation between coffee drinking with high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure leaving a diabetic at an even higher risk. The more coffee consumed, the greater this risk becomes. Just think… you can decrease your risk of having heart problems by limiting your coffee intake. This is a huge step a diabetic can make towards optimal health! - Elevated Homocysteine
Homocysteine is an amino acid that is directly associated with an increase risk of suffering from a heart attack. It also promotes the break down of the blood vessels in the eyes leading to poor eyesight. Both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee intake increases homocysteine levels within hours of consumption. By habitually drinking coffee, you may be increasing your homocysteine levels daily. You can take steps towards decreasing your risk of heart disease and poor eyesight by cutting down on your coffee intake. Seeing is believing! - Increased Appetite
Caffeine causes constriction of blood vessels and decreased circulation to the brain, which causes a feeling of low blood sugar even when the value is within normal range. This false sense of low blood sugar can trigger a person to eat more food than needed leading them to high blood sugars and weight gain. You can take control of your appetite and decrease unnecessary high blood sugars by limiting your caffeine intake.
