Various Medical FAQs & Resources

What is an Allergy?

An allergy is actually an immune system disorder. An allergic reaction is the activation of specific white blood cells by antibodies that detect foreign objects. This is a response to normally harmless substances such as bee stings, pollen, or certain foods.

Allergies: an overview of the health topics related to allergies.

Allergy: information on the basics, research, and types of allergies.

What is an Antibiotic?

An antibiotic is a compound that fights bacterial growth. It is often used as medication to fight infection. However, antibiotics will only treat infections caused by bacteria and have no effect on viral infections. Common antibiotics are Penicillin and Amoxicillin.

Antibiotic Resistance: information from the CDC on antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance.

What the Heck is an Antibiotic?: an easy to understand article on the production and uses of antibiotics.

What is an Antibody??

Antibodies are found it the bloodstream and their job is to find foreign objects in the body and fight them off. This is the body's response to fighting off infection. Antibodies are gamma globulin proteins produced by white blood cells.

Antibody Structure: an introductory look at antibodies.

Antibodies: information on antibody molecules complete with diagrams.

What is an Enzyme?

Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions in the body. Enzymes are needed for almost every biological process that occurs within cells. Without enzymes, it would be impossible to achieve homeostasis which would result in genetic diseases.

Enzyme Proteins: an overview of the role of enzymes in chemical reactions.

Enzyme Structures Database: a searchable database of all known enzyme structures.

What is an E. coli ?

Escherichia coli is a bacteria generally found in the lower digestive system. Most strains of E. coli pose no threat to organisms and aid in human digestion by fighting other bacteria and helping to produce Vitamin K. However, some strains can cause serious food poisoning and even result in death.

E.coli: information on the bacteria as well as the spread and symptoms of harmful strains.

What You Should Know About E.coli: a fact sheet on protecting yourself from infection.

? What is a Gene?

Genes are the unit of genetic endowment in all organisms. A gene is the DNA sequence that holds cellular information and controls what traits are passed to offspring.

Learn Genetics: a resource guide to understanding genes and DNA.

DNA From the Beginning: an animated web guide on the basics of genetics.

? What is Genetic Engineering?

Genetic engineering refers to the process of manipulating the genes of an organism for some desired result. It can be used to treat genetic diseases and can even change an organism's appearance, character, or intelligence. For these reasons, genetic engineering is an ethical controversy.

The Pros and Cons of Genetic Engineering: a look at the beneficial and controversial sides of genetics.

What is Genetic Engineering: an overview of the processes and uses of genetic engineering.

? What is "Mad Cow" Disease?

Mad cow disease, or b ovine spongiform encephalopathy, is a fatal disease that afflicts cattle. It causes a degeneration of the brain and spinal cord. Scientists believe mad cow disease can be transmitted to humans who ingest the brain or spinal cord of an infected cow.

Mad Cow Q&A: answers to the most common questions regarding mad cow disease.

BSE: current news and information about mad cow disease.

? What is Microbiology?

Microbiology is the study of cellular microscopic organisms. To sum it up, microbiology is the study of any living organism that can't be seen with the naked eye. It is a continually growing field and it is estimated that only about 1 percent of existing microbes have been researched.

Microbiology: a report on the continually evolving science of microorganisms.

EPA Microbiology: information on EPA methods relating to protozoans, bacteria, and viruses.

? What is PCR?

PCR stands for polymerase chain reaction. It creates copies of specific DNA sequences and can produce a series of gene manipulations including cloning.

What is PCR?: an overview of the invention and uses of polymerase chain reactions.

Animation Library: an animated look at how PCR works.

? What is Penicillin?

Penicillin is an antibiotic derived from Penicillium fungi. It was the first drug to be effective in fighting off serious bacterial infections upon its discovery by Alexander Fleming in 1928.

The First Miracle Drug: an article on the discovery of the antibiotic and its impact on the medical field.

The Wonder Drug: an in-depth overview of the history of Penicillin.

? What Does Protease Inhibitor Have to Do With HIV?

Protease inhibitors are used to fight HIV infection. They block the ability of a viral protease to produce functional enzymes, thus slowing continued infection.

Protease Inhibitors and HIV: an explanation of what a protease is, how a protease inhibitor works, and how it fights the HIV infection.

FDA Approves Atazanavir: an article on the once daily protease inhibitor used against HIV.

? What is a Research Grant?

Research grants are a form of funding for scientific research. The process is usually competitive with the best proposal winning the funds. The grants are generally awarded by corporations, foundations, or the government.

How To Get Funding: a resource guide of tips to acquiring a research grant.

Research Crossroads: a database of funding information organized by research field.

? What is a Virus?

A virus is an infection that needs the environment of another organism's cells to replicate itself. Viruses can infect plants, animals, and even bacteria. There are millions of viruses on the planet but only about 5,000 forms have been researched extensively.

Introduction to Viruses: information on the discovery of viruses.

Virus Structure: a diagram of a virus.

? What is a Vaccination?

A vaccine is an antigenic material administered to produce immunity to a specific pathogen. Vaccination is the most efficient way to prevent infectious diseases. A vaccination works by inoculating a person with either a live form or weaker strain of a disease so that the person's body can build up an immunity.

The Discovery of Vaccination: a profile of Edward Jenner and the discovery of inoculation.

Vaccinations and Immunizations: a listing of CDC vaccination recommendations and guidelines as well as immunization schedules.

? What is a MRI?

Magnetic Resonance Imaging is a medical technique primarily used in radiology to screen the internal structure of the boy. MRIs use magnetic fields to show greater differences between the different soft tissues of the human body.

The Basics of MRI: a look at the technology and physics of MRI machines.

MRI: an overview of how MRIs work, why they are needed, and how to personally prepare for the test.

? What is a X-ray ?

X-rays are electromagnetic radiation waves that have the ability to penetrate objects. X-rays are primarily used in the medical field to capture the internal structure of the body. X-rays are used to detect growths, broken bones, and tumors.

X-Ray Machines: a demonstration of how the fluoroscope x-ray machine works.

Wilhelm Rontgon: a biography of the man who won the Nobel Prize for his discovery and use of x-rays.