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2 , also known as tooth decay or cavity, is a disease wherein bacterial processes
damage hard tooth structure (enamel, dentin and cementum). These tissues progressively
break down, producing dental caries (cavities, holes in the teeth). Two groups of bacteria are
responsible for initiating caries: Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus. If left untreated, the
disease can lead to pain, tooth loss, infection, and, in severe cases, death. Today, caries
remains one of the most common diseases throughout the world. Tooth decay is caused by
specific types of acid-producing bacteria that cause damage in the presence of fermentable
carbohydrates such as sucrose, fructose, and glucose. The mineral content of teeth is sensitive
to increases in acidity from the production of lactic acid. Specifically, a tooth (which is
primarily mineral in content) is in a constant state of back-and-forth demineralization and
remineralization between the tooth and surrounding saliva. When the pH at the surface of the
tooth drops below 5.5, demineralization proceeds faster than remineralization (i.e. there is a
net loss of mineral structure on the tooth's surface). This results in the ensuing decay.
A
is a medical test involving the removal of cells or tissues for examination. It is the
medical removal of tissue from a living subject to determine the presence or extent of a
disease. The tissue is generally examined under a microscope by a pathologist, and can also
be analyzed chemically. When an entire lump or suspicious area is removed, the procedure is
called an excisional biopsy. When only a sample of tissue is removed with preservation of the
histological architecture of the tissue¶s cells, the procedure is called an incisional biopsy or
core biopsy. When a sample of tissue or fluid is removed with a needle in such a way that
cells are removed without preserving the histological architecture of the tissue cells, the
procedure is called a needle aspiration biopsy.
2 M is the medical term for the symptom of difficulty in swallowing. It derives from
the Greek root dys meaning difficulty or disordered, and phagia meaning "to eat". It is a
sensation that suggests difficulty in the passage of solids or liquids from the mouth to the
stomach. Dysphagia is distinguished from other symptoms including odynophagia, which is
defined as painful swallowing, and globus, which is the sensation of a lump in the throat. A
psychogenic dysphagia is known as phagophobia.
is the study of factors affecting the health and illness of populations, and
serves as the foundation and logic of interventions made in the interest of public health and
preventive medicine. It is considered a cornerstone methodology of public health research,
and is highly regarded in evidence-based medicine for identifying risk factors for disease and
determining optimal treatment approaches to clinical practice. In the study of communicable
and non-communicable diseases, the work of epidemiologists ranges from outbreak
investigation to study design, data collection and analysis including the development of
statistical models to test hypotheses. Epidemiologists also study the interaction of diseases in
a population, a condition known as a syndemic.
In epidemiology, an
occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human
population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is "expected," based on
recent experience (the number of new cases in the population during a specified period of
time is called the "incidence rate"). In recent usages, the disease is not required to be
communicable; examples include cancer or heart disease. Another example includes the
infamous Black Plague of the Middle Ages.
A
(from Greek ʌ Ȟ pan "all" + į ȝȠȢ demos "people") is an epidemic of
infectious disease that is spreading through human populations across a large region; for
instance a continent, or even worldwide. A widespread endemic disease that is stable in terms
of how many people are getting sick from it is not a pandemic. Further, flu pandemics
exclude seasonal flu, unless the flu of the season is a pandemic. Throughout history there
have been a number of pandemics, such as smallpox and tuberculosis. More recent
pandemics include the HIV pandemic and the 2009 flu pandemic.
is the study of causation, or origination. The word is most commonly used in
medical and philosophical theories, where it is used to refer to the study of why things occur,
or even the reasons behind the way that things act, and is used in philosophy, physics,
psychology, government, medicine, theology and biology in reference to the causes of
various phenomena.
In medicine, a
is a diagnostic and at times therapeutic procedure that is
performed in order to collect a sample of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for biochemical,
microbiological, and cytological analysis, or very rarely as a treatment ("therapeutic lumbar
puncture") to relieve increased intracranial pressure.
is the premature death of cells and living tissue. Necrosis is caused by external
factors, such as infection, toxins or trauma. This is in contrast to , which is a
naturally occurring cause of cellular death. While apoptosis often provides beneficial effects
to the organism, necrosis is almost always detrimental, and can be fatal. Cells which die due
to necrosis do not usually send the same chemical signals to the immune system that cells
undergoing apoptosis do. This prevents nearby phagocytes from locating and engulfing the
dead cells, leading to a build up of dead tissue and cell debris at or near the site of the cell
death. For this reason, it is often necessary to remove necrotic tissue surgically.
The
is formed by the fusion of the parts of the amniotic fold, which first
makes its appearance at the cephalic extremity, and subsequently at the caudal end and sides
of the embryo. As the amniotic fold rises and fuses over the dorsal aspect of the embryo, the
amniotic cavity is formed.
is an old process for sterilizing food. In the case of sterilization using
unpressurized heating to 100°C in boiling water, the heat will kill the bacterial cells but the
viability of bacterial spores may survive. In this latter case the Tyndallization process can be
used to destroy the spores. The process is named after its inventor, the 19th century scientist
John Tyndall. Tyndallization essentially consists of boiling the substance for 15 minutes for
three days in a row. On the second day most of the spores that survived the first day will have
germinated into bacterial cells. These cells will be killed by the second day's heating. The
third day kills bacterial cells from late-germinating spores. During the waiting periods over
the three days, the substance being sterilized is kept at a warm room temperature; i.e., a
temperature that is conducive to germination of the spores. Germination also requires a moist
environment. It is not often used today, but it has applications in sterilizing some things that
cannot withstand pressurized heating, such as gardener's seeds. It is not necessary to bring the
temperature all the way up to 100°C to kill bacterial cells
Patrick Wagener