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Cancer Biopsy Biopsy means removal tissue samples from a suspected lesion. It is one of the most important diagnostic tools for detection and confirmation of certain cancers. Types of biopsy When cancer is suspected, a variety of biopsy techniques are applied. Some of these include: An ''excisional biopsy'' is an attempt to remove an entire lesion. This also involves removal of the healthy margins around the lesion. "Clear margins" or "negative margins" means that no disease was found at the edges of the biopsy tissue. "Positive margins" means that disease has spread to the margins and a wider excision may be recommended. An ''incisional biopsy'' involves removal of a wedge of tissue or a bite of tissue. A variety of sizes of needle can collect tissue in the lumen (‘’core biopsy’’). Needle biopsy involves removal of a small sample of tissue from the lesion using a very fine needle. Needle or core biopsy may be guide

GoBiopsy is the removal of cells or tissues for examination by a pathologist. The pathologist may study the tissue under a microscope or perform other tests on the cells or tissue. There are many different types of biopsy procedures. The most common types include: (1) incisional biopsy, in which only a sample of tissue is removed; (2) excisional biopsy, in which an entire lump or suspicious area is removed; and (3) needle biopsy, in which a sample of tissue or fluid is removed with a needle. When a wide needle is used, the procedure is called a core biopsy. When a thin needle is used, the procedure is called a fine-needle aspiration biopsy. What is Biopsy? Biopsy is a medical test that involves removal of tissue in order to examine it for disease. The tissue samples may be taken from any part of the body. There are several types of biopsies. Some biopsies involve removing a small amount of tissue with a needle while others involve surgically removing an entire lump or suspected tumo

50 Amazing Human Brain Facts (Based on the Latest Science) These brain facts dispel many brain myths that linger from the past. Learn how the brain works, for better (or worse). All facts have original references. The study of the human brain has been called the last frontier in science. The field of neuroscience is still in its infancy, but is rapidly exploding — turning yesterday’s brain “facts” into today’s brain “myths.” Experts agree there is more we don’t know about the brain than we currently know. ( 1 ) Here are some of the most interesting brain facts backed by science. Some will fill you with awe. Some will make you pause and think. Others will make you realize what an imperfect “machine” we’ve got running the show. We think at least a few of these will … Blow. Your. Mind. Human Brain Facts by the Numbers The most complex entity known resides between your ears. Here are some of the fascinating facts and figures about the human brain. 1. The typical brain is ab

What is vaccine? A vaccine is a substance introduced in to a person to stimulate the immunity against a particular infectious agent, thereby providing protection against the infection in the future. A vaccine usually contains the dead organism or a non infectious modified (attenuated) form of the live organism. The body produces antibodies against specific proteins (antigen) on the infectious agent. Bugs like bacteria or viruses are very smart. They learn to adapt to new environments to survive. They do this by changing the structure or types of antigen on their surface. Therefore, a vaccine effective against one antigen of the bacteria or virus will be ineffective against the same antigen if it undergoes modification. The antigen change is the reason why effective vaccines have not been developed against HIV and every year a new flu vaccine has to be developed. Vaccines are used to protect diseases and not infections.The breakthroughs during the last century in medical field is t

What is Stem Cell Therapy? Everybody is born different, some are born perfectly healthy and remain healthy for the rest of their lives, some are born with certain neuromuscular disorders, while some may develop degenerative disorders. Stem Cell Therapy (SCT) is the treatment of various disorders, non-serious to life threatening, by using stem cells. These stem cells can be procured from a lot of different sources and used to potentially treat more than 80 disorders, including neuromuscular and degenerative disorders. Hematopoietic disorders (eg leukaemia, thallassemia, aplastic anemia, MDS, sickle cell anemia, storage disorders etc.) affect the bone marrow and manifest with various systemic complications. Stem cells from a donor (either from cord blood or bone marrow) are known to reconstitute the defective bone marrow and permanently overcome the disorder.                       Degenerative disorders arise from degeneration or wear and tear of bone, cartilage, muscle, fat

Bioluminescence  is the production and emission of  light  by a living  organism . It is a form of  chemiluminescence . Bioluminescence occurs widely in marine  vertebrates  and  invertebrates , as well as in some  fungi , microorganisms including some  bioluminescent bacteria  and terrestrial invertebrates such as  fireflies . In some animals, the light is bacteriogenic, produced by  symbiotic  organisms such as  Vibrio bacteria; in others, it is autogenic, produced by the animals themselves.                                                     Blue light Brain coral In a general sense, the principal chemical reaction in bioluminescence involves some light-emitting molecule and an  enzyme , generally called the  luciferin  and the  luciferase , respectively. Because these are generic names, the luciferins and luciferases are often distinguished by including the species or group, i.e.  Firefly luciferin . In all characterized cases, the enzyme  catalyzes the  oxidation  of the

Mammals synchronize their circadian activity primarily to the cycles of light and darkness in the environment. This is achieved by ocular photoreception relaying signals to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the hypothalamus. Signals from the SCN cause the synchronization of independent circadian clocks throughout the body to appropriate phases. Signals that can entrain these peripheral clocks include humoral signals, metabolic factors, and body temperature. At the level of individual tissues, thousands of genes are brought to unique phases through the actions of a local transcription/translation-based feedback oscillator and systemic cues. In this molecular clock, the proteins CLOCK and BMAL1 cause the transcription of genes which ultimately feedback and inhibit CLOCK and BMAL1 transcriptional activity. Finally, there are also other molecular circadian oscillators which can act independently of the transcription-based clock in all species which have been tested. Introduction A

The first known outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) was identified only after the fact, occurring between June and November 1976 in Nzara, South Sudan (then part of Sudan) and was caused by Sudan virus (SUDV). The Sudan outbreak infected 284 people and killed 151. The first identifiable case in Sudan occurred on 27 June in a storekeeper in a cotton factory in Nzara, who was hospitalized on 30 June and died on 6 July. While the WHO medical staff involved in the Sudan outbreak were aware that they were dealing with a heretofore unknown disease, the actual "positive identification" process and the naming of the virus did not occur until some months later in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. On 26 August 1976, a second outbreak of EVD began in Yambuku, Zaire, a small rural village in Mongala District in northern Democratic Republic of the Congo (then known as Zaire). This outbreak was caused by Ebola virus (EBOV), formerly designated Zaire ebolavirus, which is a different

Diagnosis Diagnosing Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) shortly after infection can be difficult. Early symptoms of EVD such as fever, headache, and weakness are not specific to Ebola virus infection and often are seen in patients with other more common diseases, like malaria and typhoid fever. To determine whether Ebola virus infection is a possible diagnosis, there must be a combination of symptoms suggestive of EVD AND a possible exposure to EVD within 21 days before the onset of symptoms. An exposure may include contact with: blood or body fluids from a person sick with or who died from EVDobjects contaminated with blood or body fluids of a person sick with or who died from EVDinfected fruit bats and primates (apes or monkeys)semen from a man who has recovered from EVD If a person shows early signs of EVD and has had a possible exposure, he or she should be isolated (separated from other people) and public health authorities notified. Blood samples from the patient should be collected a

Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) is a rare and deadly disease most commonly affecting people and nonhuman primates (monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees). It is caused by an infection with one of five known Ebola virus species, four of which can cause disease in people: Ebola virus (Zaire ebolavirus)Sudan virus (Sudan ebolavirus)Taï Forest virus (Taï Forest ebolavirus, formerly Côte d’Ivoire ebolavirus)Bundibugyo virus (Bundibugyo ebolavirus)Reston virus (Reston ebolavirus), known to cause disease in nonhuman primates and pigs, but not in people Ebola virus was first discovered in 1976 near the Ebola River in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. Since then, the virus has been infecting people from time to time, leading to outbreaks in several African countries. Scientists do not know where Ebola virus comes from. However, based on the nature of similar viruses, they believe the virus is animal-borne, with bats being the most likely source. The bats carrying the virus can transmit it

Epidemiology, surveillance and control of Nipah virus infections in Malaysia The outbreak of Nipah virus, affecting pigs and pig-farm workers, was first noted in September 1998 in the north-western part of peninsular Malaysia. By March 1999, the outbreak had spread to other pig-farming areas of the country, inclusive of the neighbouring country, Singapore. A total of 283 human cases of viral encephalitis with 109 deaths were recorded in Malaysia from 29 September 1998 to December 1999. During the outbreak period, a number of surveillances under three broad groups; Surveillance in Human Health Sector, Surveillance in Animal Health Sector, and Surveillance for the Reservoir Hosts, were carried out to determine the prevalence, risk of virus infections and transmission in human and swine populations as well as the source and reservoir hosts of Nipah virus. Surveillance data showed that the virus spread rapidly among pigs within infected farms and transmission was attributed to direct co

Unicellular organism                                                                                    1.Body is made up of single cell 2.Division of labour is at the organelle level. It gives a low level of operational efficiency. 3.  A single cell carries out all the life processes 4.The cell body is exposed to the environment on all sides 5 . An  injury of the cells can cause death of the organism. 6.A cell body cannot attain a large size because of the limit imposed by surface area to volume ratio 7.Lifespan is short due to heavy load of work. 8.Power of division is not lost 9.A well-marked capacity of regeneration is present 10.The cell has the same role for itself and the organism Multicellular organism 1.Body is made up of numerous cells. 2.Division of labour may be at cellular, tissue, organ and organ system level.       It gives high degree of operational efficiency. 3.Different cells are specialized to perform different functions. 4.Only outer cells are speci

What is Fragmentation? Fragmentation is the process of breaking  off a piece of organism followed by mitosis cell division. Meiosis is  not involved in this process as it is a mode of asexual reproduction.  The broken part can develop into an independent adult. Reproduction of  sea anemones, star fishes, and flatworms are well-known examples for  fragmentation. Fragmentation process is limited to  invertebrates, and it is absent in vertebrates. This is very common  among cyanobacteria, molds, lichens, many plants and animals like  sponges, flatworms and sea stars. The ability of fragmentation depends  on the complexity of the organism. It may or may not be intentional and  may occur naturally or by predators. Most of the time, after the  splitting occurs, both fragments are capable of regenerating into  complete individuals. What is Regeneration? Regeneration is a modified form of  fragmentation. It is known as a process that makes genomes, cells  organs, organisms, a

Nipah virus (NiV) is an emerging zoonotic virus (a virus transmitted to humans from animals). In infected people, Nipah virus causes a range of illnesses from asymptomatic (subclinical) infection to acute respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis. NiV can also cause severe disease in animals such as pigs, resulting in significant economic losses for farmers. Nipah virus is closely related to Hendra virus. Both are members of the genus Henipavirus, a new class of virus in the Paramyxoviridaefamily. Although Nipah virus has caused only a few outbreaks, it infects a wide range of animals and causes severe disease and death in people, making it a public health concern. Past Outbreaks Nipah virus was first recognized in 1999 during an outbreak among pig farmers in Kampung Sungai Nipah, Malaysia. No new outbreaks have been reported in Malaysia and Singapore since 1999.  NiV was first recognized in Bangladesh in 2001 and nearly annual outbreaks have occurred in that country since, with