Introduction

The Internet Resources

human organ system

• Organ System Pathology Images - Sections of the WebPath images are available for viewing below by organ system. Each section consists of a series of images demonstrating gross and microscopic pathologic findings for a variety of disease processes. A short description accompanies each image. The images are inline .jpg or .gif files that are 20k to 250k in size and are best viewed with a Web Browser that supports display of such files. The images are indexed as follow:

• Basic Anatomy - Tissues & Organs - There are many different types of cells in the human body. None of these cells function well on there own, they are part of the larger organism that is called - you. Tissues Cells group together in the body to form tissues - a collection of similar cells that group together to perform a specialized function. There are 4 primary tissue types in the human body: epithelial tissue, connective tissue, muscle tissue and nerve tissue.

• Portable Organ Preservation System™ Keeps Human Heart Alive Outside BodyPortable Organ Preservation System™ Keeps Human Heart Alive Outside Body - Tucked away in an empty operating room at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), a human heart continued to beat—outside the body—for nearly 12 hours with the aid of an experimental organ preservation and transportation system under development by TransMedics, Inc., of Woburn, Mass. The time the heart was preserved exceeded what is possible with current techniques and met the researchers’ expectations for the first test of its kind.

• Normal Histology Review - Welcome to the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Pathology Department, Normal Histology Review web page. These pages are presented for student use in preparation for the Pathology Laboratories. These review pages are to refresh and reprise material taught in the MS-I Histology course. To receive maximum benefit from the material presented and to best utilize the limited time in Pathology Laboratory, please study and review normal human histology prior to attending laboratory. From this page you can choose normal histology color micrographs to view either by 'basic laboratory title

• The Organ Waiting List System Could Be Made More Fair - Approximately 4,000 Americans die each year while waiting for an organ transplant, but a proposal for revamping the current system could help ensure that the most critically ill patients get top priority, say researchers from the Institute of Medicine (IOM). Although some critics have expressed concern that distributing organs across wider geographic areas or larger populations might make the current organ shortage even worse or harm economically disadvantaged patients, a review of records on about 33,000 patients on waiting lists for liver transplants suggests that a broader-based system would be more fair, write Robert D. Gibbons, PhD, and other members of the IOM's committee on organ procurement and transplantation. The IOM was commissioned by Congress in October of 1998 to study whether organ procurement regulations proposed by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) would result in a more equitable distribution of donor organs

• THE NERVOUS SYSTEM - The neuron is the functional unit of the nervous system. Humans have about 100 billion neurons in their brain alone! While variable in size and shape, all neurons have three parts. Dendrites receive information from another cell and transmit the message to the cell body. The cell body contains the nucleus, mitochondria and other organelles typical of eukaryotic cells. The axon conducts messages away from the cell body.

• The Human Body: - The human body is the most fascinating and fantastic machine in existence. No one understands all of its many mysteries; and no single source can do justice to its many parts. This week, Education World tours the Web to find the best 'human body' sites. You won't believe what we discovered! Included: Sites for all ages. Activities too!

• General Clinical Research Center - To make available to medical scientists the resources that are necessary for the conduct of clinical research. To provide an optimal setting for controlled investigation by clinical scientists.

• IMPROVING THE NATION'S ORGAN TRANSPLANTATION SYSTEM - Since the 1970s, when organ transplantation became an established medical procedure, the number of organ transplants performed each year in the United States has grown from 12,618 in 1988 to 20,961 in 1998; and the number of centers performing this surgery has grown from 235 in 1988 to 278 today. The number of patients awaiting transplantation has grown even more rapidly: from about 14,000 in 1988 to some 66,000 persons on waiting lists for organ transplantation today, ranging in condition from non-urgent to extremely urgent. However, organ donation has grown much more slowly -- from 5,906 donors in 1988 to 9,913 in 1998. Almost 5,000 patients die each year, some 13 each day, while awaiting an organ for transplantation

• Human Body Project Website - The Human Body Project will be worth a total of 500+ points. There will be four parts to the project including: (1) Three typed paragraphs on a single human body system utilizing the following as reference: Holt Life Science; one Internet Reference; and the encyclopedia. Optional references can include information from the El Dorado County Library or the Pleasant Valley School Library. The paragraphs must include the following: a description of the organ system; the function of the organ system; care and maintenance of the organ system. Plagiarism will result in a ZERO on this part of the project (NO EXCEPTIONS)

• Organ Donation and Transplantation - A recent study revealed that members of certain minority groups, young children, and women remain on waiting lists for liver transplants longer then their white, adult male counterparts. (1) Ironically, the study also revealed that foreign nationals and repeat transplant patients are among those who wait the least amount of time for these transplants.(2) These findings suggest that certain groups may be at a disadvantage where organ transplantation is concerned. This troubling data requires that issues surrounding access to organ transplantation are further pursued in order to determine what causes this predicament, and what can be done to remedy the situation. This annotated bibliography attempts to provide insight on the practices of organ transplantation and organ donation. However, specific emphasis is placed on how these practices impact members of minority groups, especially African-Americans.

• Understanding the Human Body: - Your single most valuable possession is your own body. We all recognize its indispensable role in our daily lives. Yet despite its obvious value, many of us have a very limited understanding of exactly how it is constructed and how it works.

• Battle over nation's organ transplant system heats up - WASHINGTON -- One year after Neva Bibko's infant granddaughter received a heart transplant, Bibko found out she was a candidate for a new liver. Bibko has been waiting five years. Her granddaughter lived three years after the transplant and died at age 5. The experience has given the family more contact with the nation's transplant system than they ever expected or wanted. 'The system was fair to her,' Bibko, 71, of Phoenix, N.Y., said of her granddaughter. 'And I think from my own experience, that I've been dealt with fairly, too.' It is a rare testimonial to the transplant system. For the past several years, the system has been rocked by bitter charges of unfairness, seen nasty internal fighting explode into embarrassing public view, warred over government attempts to step in and solve the controversy and suffered under the historic shortage of donor organs. Most of the problems have come in the area of liver transplants.

• The Waiting Game - We have a family friend in the hospital waiting for a liver as I type this, so a timely topic for me. For a number of reasons, I am skeptical that human organ donation is going to see a significant increase anytime soon. So what is the research/clinical status of alternatives such as artificial organs, animal organs, etc.? Perhaps more important, what is the latest regarding immune system recognition and/or suppression drugs, which allow a human body to more easily accept a 'foreign

• Black Churches Take on AIDS Problem - Local groups are participating in the Black Church Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS by raising funds and awareness about the disease. Today, at least six tents will go up at Talbot Chapel AME Zion Church to accept donations and pledges for the Community Information Network, which Executive Director Owen Neil said provides HIV/AIDS and other health information for Pensacola's black community. Robert Hill, owner of radio station WRNE and host of 'Hill in the Morning,' said his tent will be up for three days, and the station will pass out brochures and raise money. 'We'll have a voter registration drive and free AIDS testing,' said Hill. Neil said blacks comprise 14 percent of Escambia County's population but account for 38 and 49 percent of the AIDS and HIV cases, respectively; Santa Rosa County statistics were unavailable. A workshop for pastors will be held Thursday at 6 p.m. All events will be held at the Talbot church, 425 N. Reus St.

• THE QUEST - an understanding of how genetic factors contribute to human disease is gathering speed. Most notably, the draft sequence of the human genome is now available. This rough sketch provides us with the first holistic view of our genetic heritage and is a significant landmark on the road to a complete human genome reference sequence. This will be a fundamental resource in future biomedical research. The 46 human chromosomes (22 pairs of autosomal chromosomes and 2 sex chromosomes) between them house almost 3 billion base pairs of DNA that contains about 30,000 - 40,000 protein-coding genes. This is a much smaller number than predicted - only twice as many as in the worm or fly model organisms. The coding regions make up less than 5% of the genome (the function of the remaining DNA is not clear) and some chromosomes have a higher density of genes than others.

• Human Diseases: - Welcome to the companion website for Human Diseases, 5/E. Here you will find additional resources to help you master this content. This site offers: Chapter-specific questions Anatomy labelling exercises An audio glossary of terms Web destinations

• A Gene Map of the Human Genome - The Human Genome Project is expected to produce a sequence of DNA representing the functional blueprint and evolutionary history of the human species. However, only about 3% of this sequence is thought to specify the portions of our 50,000 to 100,000 genes that encode proteins. Thus an important part of basic and applied genomics is to identify and localize these genes in a process known as transcript mapping. When genes are expressed, their sequences are first converted into messenger RNA transcripts, which can be isolated in the form of complementary DNAs (cDNAs). Approximately half of all human genes had been sampled as of 15 June, 1996.

• Human Prion Diseases: - Definition: Diseases of human and animals that affect primarily the nervous system. They can be sporadic (spontaneous), transmitted by infection or familial (inherited). The hallmark of these diseases is the presence of microscopic vacuolization of the brain tissue, called spongiform degeneration, and of an abnormal form of a protein, called prion protein, which is a normal component in brain and other tissues. The abnormal prion protein is resistant to digestion with enzymes that breakdown normal proteins, and accumulates in the brain.

• Our Classifications of human prion diseases: - Definition: Diseases of human and animals that affect primarily the nervous system. They can be sporadic (spontaneous), transmitted by infection or familial (inherited). The hallmark of these diseases is the presence of microscopic vacuolization of the brain tissue, called spongiform degeneration, and of an abnormal form of a protein, called prion protein, which is a normal component in brain and other tissues. The abnormal prion protein is resistant to digestion with enzymes that breakdown normal proteins, and accumulates in the brain.

• Human Papillomavirus and Genital Warts - Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common causes of sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the world. Health experts estimate that there are more cases of genital HPV infection than of any other STI in the United States. According to the American Social Health Association, approximately 5.5 million new cases of sexually transmitted HPV infections are reported every year. At least 20 million Americans are already infected.

• What is human papillomavirus? - Scientists have identified more than 100 types of HPV, most of which are harmless. About 30 types are spread through sexual contact. Some types of HPV that cause genital infections can also cause cervical cancer and other genital cancers.

• Pioneers in Exploring Human Diseases - More than 290 reproducible lists of terms, theories, and principles related to the life, chemical, physical, meteorological, earth, and space sciences.

• Mouse Research Sheds New Light On Human Genetic Diseases - A team of researchers headed by Douglas R. Cavener, professor and head of the Department of Biology at Penn State University, has announced important findings about the causes of three human diseases: severe, juvenile-onset diabetes; osteoporosis; and Wolcott-Rallison Syndrome, a rare condition whose sufferers exhibit a combination of diabetes, retarded growth, and skeletal abnormalities. Their work suggests promising lines of research for the therapeutic treatment of these diseases. The work will be described in an article in the August 2003 issue of the journal Endocrinology.

• Human Genetics References - PERK knockout mice have a very low survival rate because the biomedical problems caused by the absence of the PERK enzyme are so severe. Fully 63 percent die during gestation or the first few days of life which can be traced to failures in the creation or delivery of specific proteins.

• Common STDs in South Australia - On this page, a brief overview of the most common sexually transmitted diseases in South Australia is presented. More detailed information is available by clicking the link underneath the brief description of the disease. The 'Essential Facts' were originally written for clients attending Clinic 275 and reflect management practices at the time of writing. If you are not a client of Clinic 275, some of the details about diagnosis and management may not apply to you.

• Body Snatchers - The human body is one of the most amazing machines in the world. It is made up of thousands of parts all working together. Each group of parts is called a system. The body is so complicated that it is sometimes easier to think about the different systems separately. Because they all work together, you could not live with only some ot the systems you need them all to stay alive. Because the parts within a system all work together, an attack on any part is a threat to your life. So many people are suffering and dying because of their lack of knowledge about how the body responds to attacks within its systems.

• Human Disease Gene Survey Yields Underlying Principles - February 12, 2001— By compiling and categorizing 923 genes that malfunction in inherited diseases, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) researchers have discerned patterns that indicate that this approach might be a powerful new tool for understanding genetic contributions to human diseases. Future analyses of newly discovered human disease genes revealed through the human genome sequencing projects, say the scientists, will give rise to new approaches to understanding and treating disease based on fundamental principles. The results of the survey were published in the journal Nature on February 12, 2001, by HHMI investigator David L. Valle and colleagues Gerardo Jimenez-Sanchez and Barton Childs at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. The article is part of a collection of articles published by Nature that discusses the implications of sequencing the human genome. 'Most of us who have studied genetic disease have focused on one particular disease, or perhaps a small set of related diseases,' said Valle. 'However, this is a classic example of stepping back to take a look at the forest instead of specific trees. We decided to collect a list of disease genes, to correlate those genes with various aspects of the disease and see if we could begin to discern general patterns.' The scientists began by assembling a list of 923 genes that cause inherited disease, drawing the list from the seventh edition of Metabolic and Molecular Bases of Inherited Diseases and from the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man database. Next, they categorized each disease gene based on the function of its protein product. This strategy yielded four major categories: genes that encode enzymes; genes that encode proteins that influence the function of a second protein—for example, stabilizing, activating or folding another protein; genes that encode receptors; and genes that encode transcription factors. Valle and his colleagues next scored each gene in these four major categories based on the clinical features of the disease—including age of onset, mode of inheritance, frequency, severity, extent of tissue involvement and association with malformations. The analysis yielded a number of striking general insights, said Valle. For example, the scientists found that genes that encoded transcription factors are over-represented among genes that cause malformation diseases that begin in utero. This frequency, said Valle, reflects the importance of transcription factors in embryonic development. The analyses also indicated that 'an extraordinarily high' fraction of diseases with onset in the first year of life are caused by defects in genes that encode enzymes. This finding was expected, wrote the scientists, because the mother’s metabolic system protects the fetus from enzyme deficiencies until birth. Metabolic deficiencies are usually identified after birth. The scientists found that diseases caused by genes that encode enzymes are primarily recessive, while those caused by genes whose proteins influence other proteins are evenly split between dominant and recessive. Also, diseases caused by transcription factors are more likely to be dominant, found the researchers. Each of the four major functional categories of gene showed a different peak age of onset, found the scientists. Diseases due to transcription factors peaked in utero; those due to enzymes in the first year; those for receptors between one year and puberty, and those due to protein modifiers in early adulthood. 'These insights represent only the beginning of the kinds of discoveries of general principles that can be made as a comprehensive list of disease genes is developed and compared to the list of all human genes,' said Valle. 'Clearly, the human genome projects will enable us to make this comparison, and we find the prospect very exciting.' Valle added that insights arising from such comparisons will likely alter the fundamental view of human disease. 'In the past, physicians have viewed disease as something that is visited upon us from outside. But the biologically correct perspective is that disease is really a consequence of living. As researchers continue to identify these patterns of disease, we will gain a more global view of the biology of disease as a normal consequence of natural selection and the evolution of our species. 'So, instead of having one group of people, namely physicians, interested in disease and another, namely biologists, interested in evolution and normal biology, we will come to understand that both groups are working on two aspects of the same population. We will probably find that each group will be better served by learning from the other.' Photo: John Hopkins University School of Medicine Top of Page ©2003 Howard Hughes Medical Institute 4000 Jones Bridge RoadChevy Chase, MD 20815-6789 (301) 215-8500E-mail: webmaster@hhmi.org

• Tissue Studies of Human Eye Diseases - The purpose of this study is to better understand the processes involved in the development of various eye conditions, such as uveitis, disorders of the conjunctiva, cornea, vitreous and retina, metabolic or genetic eye diseases or eye tumors, in order to develop better methods of diagnosis and treatment. Patients who require eye surgery to treat an eye disease or other disease in which the eye is involved may participate in this study. Samples of eye tissue and fluid that are normally removed and discarded during eye surgery will instead be given to researchers for study. The tissues will be examined under microscope and studied using sophisticated chemical and biological tests. Immune cells from blood samples may also be examined. These studies will help better understand and diagnose the various eye diseases and to develop more attractive therapies.

• World History of Human Disease - SCOPE: The purpose of this pathfinder is to introduce some of the resources available in Collier Library in the field of HUMAN DISEASES AND CONDITIONS. The various types of library materials useful in research are described along with some examples of each type. This guide is not a comprehensive listing of sources, but it is intended to be a starting point from which students can begin their research according to their specific needs.

• DNA Interactive - Genome, a component of the DNA Interactive web site, features many of the genetic disorders profiled here on YGYH. Visit this new DNALC site to see where these disorders are found in the genomic 'book of life.'

diseases

• UNIT 08 BIOLOGY 101N F98 - Digestion begins in mouth with mechanical chewing, assisted by enzymes, such as Amylase for starch break-down to glucose. Various carbohydrates begin the digestion process in the mouth due to this mechanical (chewing) process, as does initial (digestion) of proteins. Food moves through esophagus by way of PERISTALSIS (muscular contractions), as it does through the entire digestive tract. The base of esophagus is the Cardiac Sphincter, and the Pyloric Sphincter muscle prior to emptying into the Duodenum (first 12' small intestine) constricts the base of the stomach.

• Policy Debate: Should there be a market for human organs? - A new system is needed, one that commercializes organs in a global network. By allowing people to contract for the exchange of organs for monetary consideration, the market opens up financial incentives that increase the available supply of organs. ~David E. Jefferies, 'The Body as Commodity: The Use of Markets to Cure the Organ Deficit,' International Journal of Global Legal Studies, vol. 5, no. 2

• Lesson 3: Cells, Tissues, Organs, and Organ Systems - Students have a general understanding of various organ systems but are not aware of the histological components of these systems. A review of the cellular components of various organ systems and the functions of the numerous differentiated cells is important in understanding the genetic differentiation of cells in the human body.

• THE EXCRETORY SYSTEM - Cells produce water and carbon dioxide as by-products of metabolic breakdown of sugars, fats, and proteins. Chemical groups such as nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorous must be stripped, from the large molecules to which they were formerly attached, as part of preparing them for energy conversion. The continuous production of metabolic wastes establishes a steep concentration gradient across the plasma membrane, causing wastes to diffuse out of cells and into the extracellular fluid.

• WSWS : News & Analysis : Global Inequality - One of the most gruesome expressions of international social inequality is the trade in human organs and, more particularly, the murder and dismemberment of poor and defenseless people for their organs. The alleged theft of organs from the bodies of Sri Lankan immigrant workers was the cause for a demonstration in Colombo on August 27. Protesters, who included the relatives of a deceased immigrant laborer, Somalatha Satharasinghe, and activists from the Foreign Employment Rights Protection Movement demonstrated at the Foreign Employment Bureau (FEB) demanding an inquiry into Ms. Satharasinghe’s death and body dismemberment. Ms. Satharasinghe, 41, died in Kuwait and was sent back to her home in Ampara without her kidneys and corneas. According to the Colombo Page, relatives have alleged that she was killed for her organs. Her body was sent back to her family 35 days after her death. Among those demonstrating was Ajith Perera, an immigrant worker who returned from Kuwait last week and has charged that Ms. Satharasinghe, who died under mysterious circumstances, was the victim of the big business-organized trade in human organs. “She had informed the recruitment agency that her employers were forcing her to donate one of her kidneys, but no action was taken. It was a few days later that the agency was informed that she was hospitalized,” Mr. Perera told the Daily Mirror. Somalatha Satharasinghe had gone to Kuwait in May to take up employment as a housemaid. The discovery of her missing organs came after relatives requested a postmortem. The victim’s family was notified on July 10 that Ms. Satharasinghe had been admitted to a Kuwaiti hospital after a sudden fainting spell. She died two days later and on July 28 the family was told that the deceased had donated her kidneys. However L.K. Ruhunuge, the deputy general manager of the FEB, reported to the Sunday Times that after the victim was suddenly taken ill, she went into a coma and was believed to have been brain dead, ruling out the possibility of voluntary organ donation. “Since the hospital had two patients who needed the kidneys, the transplant was done in accordance with Kuwaiti laws, we have been informed,” said Ruhunuge. In a letter to the Sri Lankan Embassy, the Kuwaiti Department of Organ Transplantation stated that Kuwaiti law allows for organ removal with the consent of the Minister of Health. Speaking at the demonstration in Colombo, Ajith Perera, who had contact with people who had assisted Ms. Satharasinghe in her final days, stated: “Through Sri Lankans working in hospitals there, we got to know that this business of organ transplant had been taking place for quite some time. I know of another Sri Lankan who was offered 10,000 Kuwaiti dinars and a visa for 10 years in place of his kidney. But he was sent back as he did not consent. Many high ranking people on either side are involved in this horrifying business and that is why I decided to join this campaign to create awareness and put pressure to end this corrupt trade.” Ms. Satharasinghe’s son, Yohan Nelumdeniya, delivered a petition, addressed to Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga, to the Foreign Employment Bureau demanding that the circumstances surrounding his mother’s death be investigated and brought to light. The director of the Migrant Services Centre, David Soysa, also suspects that Ms. Satharasinghe’s case did not involve voluntary kidney donation. He spoke about the dangers facing Sri Lankan women when they go abroad as unskilled labor. “Poverty forces them to take these jobs without question,” and in the process they are deprived of basic rights, he said, adding: “The biggest problem is that there is no responsibility on the part of the labour-receiving country.” There is an escalating global trade in human organs. In the April 2000 issue of Current Anthropology, Nancy Scheper-Hughes, a professor of anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley and a leading expert in the field of human organ trafficking, confirms that there is a large market of kidneys that caters largely to wealthy patients from the Middle East. In her article, “The Global Traffic in Human Organs,” she writes: “The first inklings of a commercial market in organs appeared in 1983, when a U.S. physician, H. Barry Jacobs, established the International Kidney Exchange in an attempt to broker kidneys from living donors in the Third World, especially India. By the early 1990s some 2,000 kidney transplants with living donors were being performed each year in India.” In 1994, the Indian government outlawed the sale of human organs, effectively fueling the growth of “an even larger domestic black market in kidneys, controlled by organized crime expanding out from the heroin trade (in some cases with the backing of local political leaders),” according to Scheper-Hughes. She adds that, according to anthropologist and colleague Lawrence Cohen, today “only the very rich can acquire an unrelated kidney.... The kidney trade is another link, Cohen suggests, in a system of debt peonage reinforced by neoliberal structural adjustment. Kidney sales display some of the bizarre effects of a global capitalism that seeks to turn everything into a commodity.” The poorest countries provide the most vulnerable prey for the human organ traffickers. But increasingly the lucrative, global commercial trade in human body parts is expanding into all regions. Eastern and Central Europe are the latest source of cheap kidneys and other organs for the booming transplant industry. According to an Inter Press Service (IPS) account in February, two Israeli doctors performed kidney transplants in January on six Israeli nationals in Tallinn, Estonia, using kidneys illegally solicited from donors in Romania, Moldova and Russia. The head of Tallinn’s Mustamae hospital, Teet Lainevee, describes Estonia as “a land of endless opportunities” for the transplant industry. In Germany last year, the magazine Der Spiegel conducted an investigation into the autopsy trade, in which organs are stolen from dead donors, smuggled out of hospital morgues and sold to local drug companies. In her article “The Organ of Last Resort,” Scheper-Hughes, confirms that “human strip mining” is “not limited to the former police states in South Africa, Brazil and Argentina,” but can be found in “the wealthiest communities of the United States.... The sale of human organs and tissues requires that certain disadvantaged individuals and populations have been reduced to the role of “suppliers.” It is a scenario in which bodies are dismembered, transported, processed and sold in the interests of a more socially advantaged population of organ and tissue receivers.” The increasingly desperate “strip mining” of the human body is another barometer of exploding social inequality, both within national boundaries and in the global arena. See Also: Human organs: the next futures market? 26 April 2002] Top of page Readers: The WSWS invites your comments. Please send e-mail. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 1998-2004 World Socialist Web Site All rights reserved

• Organ System Anatomy, Physiology, and Pathology for Engineers - COURSE DESCRIPTION Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or as required by the topic. Same as Biomedical Engineering 385J (Topic 2: Organ System Anatomy, Physiology, and Pathology for Engineers), Chemical Engineering 385J (Topic 2: Organ System Anatomy, Physiology, and Pathology for Engineers), and Electrical Engineering 385J (Topic 2: Organ System Anatomy, Physiology, and Pathology for Engineers). The functional anatomy and physiology of the major human organ systems; representative pathologic disorders associated with these organs. An overview of general pathologic processes, with emphasis on the influences of normal and abnormal organ anatomy, physiology, and disease on the definition and solution of biomedical engineering problems. Two lecture hours and one three-hour laboratory a week for one semester. Normally offered in the spring semester only. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in engineering and consent of instructor. Additional prerequisite: Mechanical Engineering 385J (Topic 1) or the equivalent. COURSE DESCRIPTION Three lecture hours a week for one semester, or as required by the topic. Same as Biomedical Engineering 385J (Topic 2: Organ System Anatomy, Physiology, and Pathology for Engineers), Chemical Engineering 385J (Topic 2: Organ System Anatomy, Physiology, and Pathology for Engineers), and Electrical Engineering 385J (Topic 2: Organ System Anatomy, Physiology, and Pathology for Engineers). The functional anatomy and physiology of the major human organ systems; representative pathologic disorders associated with these organs. An overview of general pathologic processes, with emphasis on the influences of normal and abnormal organ anatomy, physiology, and disease on the definition and solution of biomedical engineering problems. Two lecture hours and one three-hour laboratory a week for one semester. Normally offered in the spring semester only. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in engineering and consent of instructor. Additional prerequisite: Mechanical Engineering 385J (Topic 1) or the equivalent.

• Human Anatomy - Van De Graaff Text, On Line Learning Center [Check the quizzes] The Dynamic Human at WCB McGraw-Hill [check the quizzes] More Human Anatomy On-Line by Informative Graphics Corp. Atlas of the Human Body from the American Medical Association The Virtual Autopsy2 Anatomy & Physiology

• INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY - The human body is the most fascinating and fantastic machine in existence. No one understands all of its many mysteries; and no single source can do justice to its many parts. This week, Education World tours the Web to find the best 'human body' sites. You won't believe what we discovered! Included: Sites for all ages. Activities too!

• Anatomy and Physiology - Students will identify the major levels of organization in the human body from the simplest to the most complex. Students will explain the importance of understanding the independent fields of Cytology and Histology. (MO 1.10) (S3) Classify structure, location, and function of cells and tissues of the human body. Presentation on the levels of organization of tissues Students will identify the major levels of organization in the human body from the simplest to the most complex. Students will explain the importance of understanding the independent fields of Cytology and Histology. (MO 1.10) (S3) Classify structure, location, and function of cells and tissues of the human body. Presentation on the levels of organization of tissues

• Medical Sciences | Human Physiology - P 431 7309 Human Physiology (4 cr.) This is an introductory course in human physiology designed to introduce the senior undergraduate student and Master’s level graduate student to the function of the human body. This course provides a basic understanding of human organ system function. The emphasis is on demonstrating how organ systems work to maintain homeostasis, a constant yet dynamic internal state that enables us to deal with diverse environmental conditions and activities. Concepts are presented so as to provide students insight into the scientific process, problem-solving, and knowledge of resources for the study of human body in health and disease. An opportunity to explore physiological concepts through discussion and experimentation is incorporated into the lecture format of this course. Class meets MWF. Assignments and exams include 7 laboratory reports, 7 discussion exercises, 4 semester exams and one comprehensive final exam. (function) of the body caused by the disease, as well as pharmacological (drug) or other therapies used to stop the disease and allow the body to return to normal. This course is designed to provide a basic understanding of common diseases that inflict the human body and will not be exhaustive in scope. context from which a patient seeks medical care. In order to achieve this, students examine normal human behavior and development throughout the life cycle. Issues addressed include preventive health care, sexuality, cultural diversity, minority health issues, religion and spirituality, family dynamics, the economics of health care and death and dying. Intended for Junior and Senior science majors. 9:05A– 9:55A MW SE140 9:05A–11:00A F SE140

• Human Body - The Human Body is a complex organization of cells. These cells are organized into sheets of tissue, the tissue is organized into structures called organs, the organs are organized into organ systems and those organ systems are organized into an organism which we call 'The Human Body.' Each system in the body serves to assist other systems for the good of the organism. An understanding of the body's organ systems is important, if the EMT is to understand what can go wrong, should one of the systems be damaged or unable to function. In this section we will go through the human body, discussing each system in as much detail as we feel is necessary in order to adequately familiarize you with the function of that system, and how it interrelates with other systems. For the purposes of this course, we will discuss the Skeletal System, the Muscular System (referred to as the Musculoskeletal System, when it's interaction with the skeletal system is discussed,) the Respiratory System, the Circulatory System (sometimes referred to as the Cardiovascular System, when it does not include the Lymphatic sub-system,) the Nervous System, the Integumentary System, the Endocrine system, the Digestive System, the Urinary System, and the Reproductive System.

• Human kidney - For the first time, a human organ, a kidney, has been kept 'alive' -- functioning in the same manner it did in the body of the donor -- for almost 24 hours in a device at the University of Chicago Hospitals. The machine, called POPS for Portable Organ Preservation System, keeps organs in a warm, blood-based, oxygenated, nutrient solution. Currently, solid organs for transplant are removed from donors and put on ice -- maintained at 4ºC -- until they can be transplanted. Cellular activity is slowed by cooling and metabolic function diminishes. Time in the cold is hard on the organs and they must be used as quickly as possible to minimize damage. In addition, when the cold organ is re-prefused with warm blood, it resists the process and may sustain more damage. For the first time, a human organ, a kidney, has been kept 'alive' -- functioning in the same manner it did in the body of the donor -- for almost 24 hours in a device at the University of Chicago Hospitals. The machine, called POPS for Portable Organ Preservation System, keeps organs in a warm, blood-based, oxygenated, nutrient solution. Currently, solid organs for transplant are removed from donors and put on ice -- maintained at 4ºC -- until they can be transplanted. Cellular activity is slowed by cooling and metabolic function diminishes. Time in the cold is hard on the organs and they must be used as quickly as possible to minimize damage. In addition, when the cold organ is re-prefused with warm blood, it resists the process and may sustain more damage.

• - Center! The General Clinical Research Center (GCRC) mission: To make available to medical scientists the resources that are necessary for the conduct of clinical research. To provide an optimal setting for controlled investigation by clinical scientists. To learn more about normal and abnormal body function and about the cause, prevention, and cure of human disease. To encourage, develop, and maintain a corps of expert clinical investigators.

• Virtually Human - Leave your heart in San Francisco. And while you're at it, leave your ears in Boston, your liver in Tennessee and your lungs in Seattle. Charles DeLisi, who began the Human Genome Project, is trying to get financial support for an even more awesome undertaking: re-creating in software all the physiological processes of a human being.

• Human Physiology - This course will provide you with an opportunity for in depth study of the human cardiovascular, hemopoietic, respiratory, gastrointestinal, renal, and reproductive systems. We will emphasize the mechanisms responsible for maintaining homeostasis in the human organism, i.e., the neural and endocrine regulation of physiological functions. We will utilize textual materials, several enlightening and enjoyable computer-generated simulations, and a series of study questions to direct and enhance our learning.

• THE HUMAN BODY PLAN - The human body begins to take shape during the earliest stages of embryonic development. While the embryo is a tiny hallow ball of dividing cells, it begins forming the tissues and organs that compose the human body. By the end of its third week, human embryo has bilateral symmetry (a body plan in which the left and right sides mirror each other) and is developing vertebrate characteristics that will support an upright body.

• Human Body Systems - Cells produce water and carbon dioxide as by-products of metabolic breakdown of sugars, fats, and proteins. Chemical groups such as nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorous must be stripped, from the large molecules to which they were formerly attached, as part of preparing them for energy conversion. The continuous production of metabolic wastes establishes a steep concentration gradient across the plasma membrane, causing wastes to diffuse out of cells and into the extracellular fluid.

• The Human Excretory System - The urinary system is made-up of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. The nephron, an evolutionary modification of the nephridium, is the kidney's functional unit. Waste is filtered from the blood and collected as urine in each kidney. Urine leaves the kidneys by ureters, and collects in the bladder. The bladder can distend to store urine that eventually leaves through the urethra.

• Putting It All Together - The skeletal system is an organ system that supports, protects, and moves the body; the skeletal system is made up of cells, tissues, and organs; the organs of the skeletal system are bones; the tissues of the skeletal system are bone tissue, cartilage, and marrow. Directions: There are four activities: 1. Matching: Match the name of the part of the skeletal system with its proper function. 2. Word Search: Search for the hidden words. 3. Flashcards: Use the flashcards as a study guide. One side has the term, the other side has the definition of the term. 4. Concentration: Match the hidden term with its proper definition. Each correct match is worth 1 point. Have fun and enjoy!

• The Facts Don't Lie: AIDS Is an 'Evolving Epidemic' in Dallas - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr. Pamela Johnson, the new board chair of AIDS Arms, the largest Dallas nonprofit providing outpatient medical, mental and social services for HIV/AIDS patients, has an increasing number of AIDS cases to confront. She is also the first black person to hold the group's chair. 'She brings an informed perspective of the epidemic as it is impacting the community,' said AIDS Arms Medical Director Dr. Keith Rawlings, who added the public must pay attention to 'the evolving epidemic in Dallas.'

• UNITED STATES: Study Finds That Teenage Virginity Pledges Are Rarely Kept - The majority of teenagers who pledged not to have sex before marriage did not keep their vows, and those teens also developed STDs at about the same rate as young people who had not made such pledges, according to a study reported Tuesday at the National STD Prevention Conference in Philadelphia. But the study found that a pledge to refrain from sex did tend to delay the start of sexual intercourse by 18 months. Those who took virginity pledges also married earlier and had fewer sex partners than the other teens surveyed, said lead author Dr. Peter Bearman, chair of the sociology department at Columbia University.

• Did Iraq test biological weapons on humans? - Iraq said in a letter to the United Nations on Tuesday that U.N. arms inspectors had been checking on whether Iraq has been eavesdropping on their operations and have been looking into accusations that prisoners have been used to test chemical and biological weapons.

• Preface - The sequence of the human genome is providing us with the first holistic view of our genetic heritage. While not yet complete, continued refinement of the data bring us ever closer to a complete human genome reference sequence. This will be a fundamental resource in future biomedical research.

• Legal Stuff - While great care has been taken in the preparation of the material, medicine is a rapidly changing field. As new research and experience broaden our knowledge, changes in the approach to diagnosis and therapy become necessary and appropriate. Recommended dosage, method, and duration of administration, as well as contraindications to use, evolve over time for all drugs. Users of the information in this website are advised to check the current product information provided by the manufacturer of any drug prior to its administration. This is particularly important when the drug is a new or infrequently used compound. If you identify errors in the material on this website, please let us know about the error so that it may be corrected.

• Human Mycoses - Fungi cause a wide variety of diseases in humans, and the areas we discuss are listed below. You may also want to refer to the Infectious Disease Society of America-Mycoses Study Group (IDSA-MSG) Practice Guidelines for treating invasive mycoses. These cover aspergillosis, blastomycosis, candidiasis, coccidiodomycosis, cryptococcosis, histoplasmosis, and sporotrichosis and are available at the IDSA website. Finally, please be sure to refer to our legal disclaimer.

• Los Alamos National Laboratory Bioscience Division - These specialized databases are an expansion of the human papillomavirus project funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), within the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland. The scope of this project includes both compilation and analysis of molecular sequence information pertaining to sexually transmitted bacteria and viruses. Dynamic graphics and extended analyses are available for all organisms. Annotation is accomplished by a combination of automation and hand review of each record. Subject area experts on our STD Database Team provided curation and valuable advice for many aspects of this project.

• Analysis of the Rate of Human Diseases, Problems and Conditions - This is a list of diseases and other problems that affect humans, as well as some other conditions of humanity, and an estimate of their occurrence rate. 'Occurrence rate' is defined as the percent of people who are affected at least once in their lifetime. (There were 147 items as of 14 December 1997, and may be more now.) I make no guarantees that any given estimate is correct - the estimates come from publications ranging from Science News (high accuracy) to newspapers (variable quality). For now, anyone wanting to know the source of a given estimate can email me for the reference. Eventually I'll add that, but it is more difficult now, since each estimate is part of a longer entry that I have saved. My entire 'facts' file takes up over 100 KB, and contains article extractions that may be too large to constitute 'fair use', so I would have to get permission to make those extractions available online.

• Human Genetic Diseases - Phenylketoneuria Children are severely mentally retarded In 1934, Asbjørn Følling, discovered phenylalanine and phenyl pyruvic acid in urine of affected children Hypothesized defect in phenylalanine metabolism Defect now known to be a single amino acid substitution at positon 408/451 in the enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase Frequency 1 in 12,000 newborns

• your guide to reliable health information - hand-picked health information from A to Z — prevention & wellness, diseases & conditions, and alternative medicine — plus medical dictionaries, an encyclopedia, journals, and more

• PRIMATOLOGY: Human Diseases Threaten Great Apes - Researchers are uncovering disturbing evidence that scientists and tourists are infecting wild primates with human pathogens Dan Ferber* Science High in the misty mountains of Rwanda, hundreds of international tourists flock each year to view the endangered mountain gorilla. The visitors come not only to admire these animals but also to support their protection. But the tourists' presence, as well as that of the scientists who study the gorillas, puts the animals at risk. In 1988, the animals were sneezing, coughing--and dropping like flies. At first, nobody knew the cause, but then blood and tissue samples from one gorilla showed telltale signs of measles infection. No one ever identified the source of that outbreak, which killed six animals and sickened 27 more. Nor did anyone isolate human measles virus from any gorilla. But 'from all outward signs, it appeared to be measles, and it was most probably of human origin,' says Annette Lanjouw, director of the International Gorilla Conservation Program in Nairobi, Kenya. Because the loss of a single population could have been catastrophic to the species, the veterinarians who monitored the animals suspended their usual hands-off policy and gave the remaining 65 healthy gorillas in that social group a measles vaccine to ward off the disease. The epidemic stopped as suddenly as it had started

• Human Diseases and Insect Vectors - Researchers are uncovering disturbing evidence that scientists and tourists are infecting wild primates with human pathogens Dan Ferber* Science High in the misty mountains of Rwanda, hundreds of international tourists flock each year to view the endangered mountain gorilla. The visitors come not only to admire these animals but also to support their protection. But the tourists' presence, as well as that of the scientists who study the gorillas, puts the animals at risk. In 1988, the animals were sneezing, coughing--and dropping like flies. At first, nobody knew the cause, but then blood and tissue samples from one gorilla showed telltale signs of measles infection. No one ever identified the source of that outbreak, which killed six animals and sickened 27 more. Nor did anyone isolate human measles virus from any gorilla. But 'from all outward signs, it appeared to be measles, and it was most probably of human origin,' says Annette Lanjouw, director of the International Gorilla Conservation Program in Nairobi, Kenya. Because the loss of a single population could have been catastrophic to the species, the veterinarians who monitored the animals suspended their usual hands-off policy and gave the remaining 65 healthy gorillas in that social group a measles vaccine to ward off the disease. The epidemic stopped as suddenly as it had started

• healthfinder - Researchers are uncovering disturbing evidence that scientists and tourists are infecting wild primates with human pathogens Dan Ferber* Science High in the misty mountains of Rwanda, hundreds of international tourists flock each year to view the endangered mountain gorilla. The visitors come not only to admire these animals but also to support their protection. But the tourists' presence, as well as that of the scientists who study the gorillas, puts the animals at risk. In 1988, the animals were sneezing, coughing--and dropping like flies. At first, nobody knew the cause, but then blood and tissue samples from one gorilla showed telltale signs of measles infection. No one ever identified the source of that outbreak, which killed six animals and sickened 27 more. Nor did anyone isolate human measles virus from any gorilla. But 'from all outward signs, it appeared to be measles, and it was most probably of human origin,' says Annette Lanjouw, director of the International Gorilla Conservation Program in Nairobi, Kenya. Because the loss of a single population could have been catastrophic to the species, the veterinarians who monitored the animals suspended their usual hands-off policy and gave the remaining 65 healthy gorillas in that social group a measles vaccine to ward off the disease. The epidemic stopped as suddenly as it had started

• Welcome to the subsite - Researchers are uncovering disturbing evidence that scientists and tourists are infecting wild primates with human pathogens Dan Ferber* Science High in the misty mountains of Rwanda, hundreds of international tourists flock each year to view the endangered mountain gorilla. The visitors come not only to admire these animals but also to support their protection. But the tourists' presence, as well as that of the scientists who study the gorillas, puts the animals at risk. In 1988, the animals were sneezing, coughing--and dropping like flies. At first, nobody knew the cause, but then blood and tissue samples from one gorilla showed telltale signs of measles infection. No one ever identified the source of that outbreak, which killed six animals and sickened 27 more. Nor did anyone isolate human measles virus from any gorilla. But 'from all outward signs, it appeared to be measles, and it was most probably of human origin,' says Annette Lanjouw, director of the International Gorilla Conservation Program in Nairobi, Kenya. Because the loss of a single population could have been catastrophic to the species, the veterinarians who monitored the animals suspended their usual hands-off policy and gave the remaining 65 healthy gorillas in that social group a measles vaccine to ward off the disease. The epidemic stopped as suddenly as it had started

• Genetic Analysis Of Complex Human Diseases - The Midwestern prairie dog is not a common pet. But some pet stores have been selling them, along with exotic animals from around the world. Investigators say that is why more than 30 people today are suspected of having a smallpox-like disease that has never been seen before in this country.

• COURSE DATE: May 6-9, 2001 - 'This is a virus that we simply don't have a lot of information about,' Dr. Steve Ostroff of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told a news conference Monday. The virus is called monkeypox, though the name is misleading.

• Human Diseases - Though it was first observed in African monkeys in 1958, it was probably carried here fairly recently by one exotic rodent — a giant Gambian rat — flown to the United States to be sold as a pet. The rat in turn infected prairie dogs owned by a pet dealer. Doctors believe people got sick from handling the prairie dogs.

• Human Prion Diseases: - Definition: Diseases of human and animals that affect primarily the nervous system. They can be sporadic (spontaneous), transmitted by infection or familial (inherited). The hallmark of these diseases is the presence of microscopic vacuolization of the brain tissue, called spongiform degeneration, and of an abnormal form of a protein, called prion protein, which is a normal component in brain and other tissues. The abnormal prion protein is resistant to digestion with enzymes that breakdown normal proteins, and accumulates in the brain.

• Sporadic - Definition: Diseases of human and animals that affect primarily the nervous system. They can be sporadic (spontaneous), transmitted by infection or familial (inherited). The hallmark of these diseases is the presence of microscopic vacuolization of the brain tissue, called spongiform degeneration, and of an abnormal form of a protein, called prion protein, which is a normal component in brain and other tissues. The abnormal prion protein is resistant to digestion with enzymes that breakdown normal proteins, and accumulates in the brain.

• What's special about GeneCards™? - This resource also features a new type of navigation support system that guides its users to the information. Important parts of this guidance system are the spell corrector, and the automatically generated tips for query reformulation.

• Animal/Human Diseases: West Nile Virus and Rabies - United States. Department of Health and Human Services. Public Health Service. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Infectious Diseases. Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases. Epidemic/Epizootic West Nile Virus in the United States: Revised Guidelines for Surveillance, Prevention, and Control. Fort Collins, CO: Author, 2001.

• Experts: Animal-to-human diseases nothing new - From Medical Correspondent Dr. Steve Salvatore ATLANTA (CNN) -- A flu virus from chickens infects humans in Hong Kong. A medical researcher in Atlanta contracted a fatal strain of herpes from a monkey. Both events raise fear and concern, but researchers say that the spread of disease from animals to humans is not at all surprising

• What are genital warts? - Like many STIs, genital HPV infections often do not have visible signs and symptoms. One study sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) reported that almost half of the women infected with HPV had no obvious symptoms. People who are infected but who have no symptoms may not know they can transmit HPV to others or that they can develop complications from the virus.

• Human Genetic Diseases - Over several years, Cavener's team has developed and investigated a particular strain of 'knockout' mice that are genetically unable to produce the enzyme PERK (pancreatic endoplasmic reticulum kinase). Cavener and his team hypothesize that the PERK enzyme is a specific or global regulator of protein synthesis, which means that the knockout mice are especially useful in unraveling complex physiological and developmental processes. 'We are now able to investigate what happens when a particular gene is missing, to see what functions go wrong. Then we work backwards to fill in mechanisms that link the genotype to the phenotype' or the observable outcome, Cavener says

• new light on human genetic diseases - The surviving PERK knockout mice have three distinct problems that parallel those seen in humans with Wolcott-Rallison Syndrome. First, the knockout mice grow very slowly so that, as adults, they are about half the size of normal mice. They are strikingly deficient in a factor which regulates growth known as IGF-1. Newborn knockout mice average only about 25% as much IGF-1 in their liver and serum as normal mice. Second, knockout mice have many skeletal abnormalities such as dangerously fragile and porous bones, hunched backs, and splayed limbs. These abnormalities are caused by a lack of collagen, a major structural component of bone. Third, the ability of knockout mice to use sugar (glucose) is abnormal. At birth, the mice are apparently healthy in this regard, with normal levels of glucose and glucose products in their livers and normal numbers of insulin-producing beta cells in their pancreases. After three weeks, juvenile knockout mice develop severe diabetes. Their glucose levels soar to three to four times normal levels and the number of beta cells in their pancreases is reduced. After six weeks, insulin-producing beta cells are rare or completely absent

• A Nursery Rhyme - In one experiment, Cavener and colleagues focused on the mechanisms behind the retarded growth of PERK knockout mice. By injecting the PERK knockout mice with IGF-1 twice daily during the first three weeks of life, researchers were able to accelerate the neonatal growth rate of the mice. Their growth was markedly improved but not restored to normal rates. They concluded that defects in the regulation of IGF-1 were at least partially responsible for the retarded growth rates in PERK deficient mice. The improvement produced by treating the mice with IGF-1 has exciting implications for developing therapeutic interventions for people diagnosed with Wolcott-Rallison Syndrome

• Linkage - Welcome to Curt's Human Disease Website designed with the educator in mind! If you are a first time visitor, using this website is easy. Select your destination using the menu choices in the sidebar. Teachers, students and Internet surfers will find useful research links and information on writing reports about disease. Enjoy!

• Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases - Important Information and Disclaimer: All material in this website is copyrighted. Lessons Plans may be copied without permission as long as the copyright information is left intact. Any story submitted to this web site becomes the property of the web site. The content displayed on this website is intended to be educational. Curt's Human Disease Website does not give advice or medical care to its viewers, nor can it take responsibility for how the information presented is used by the public.

• Dogs on fast food type diet give important clues to human diseases - The type of oxidised fat in fast and processed food is detrimental to health, according to a study in young dogs. Fats are readily oxidised when they are heated - unless an antioxidant is added - and this type of fat is known to contribute the blocked arteries and heart disease. Oxidised fat is a significant component of fast foods, if fried, and many processed foods. As a result, many people have a high proportion of oxidised fat in their diet.

• Online Mendelian Inheritance in ManTM - Welcome to OMIM, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man. This database is a catalog of human genes and genetic disorders authored and edited by Dr. Victor A. McKusick and his colleagues at Johns Hopkins and elsewhere, and developed for the World Wide Web by NCBI, the National Center for Biotechnology Information. The database contains textual information and references. It also contains copious links to MEDLINE and sequence records in the Entrez system, and links to additional related resources at NCBI and elsewhere.

• Diseases* - Zoonoses are diseases transmissible from animals to humans. Although there are over 150 recognized zoonoses, those of significance to Texas include:

• Human Vomeronasal Organ - The diagram shows the location of the vomeronasal organ in adult humans. There is no obvious bulge in the nasal septum indicating its position. The duct opening (VNO pit), that can be observed with an endoscope in most adult humans, is at the anterior end (black dot next to arrowhead). There is no evidence for true vomeronasal sensory nerves connecting the organ to the brain. There are nerves running behind the VNO and extending back to the brain (? on the diagram) but they may be only Nervus terminalis, trigeminal and autonomic nerve branches (See also Extended-text). The organ shows some differences in structure compared with other mammalian organs. It has no obvious thick sensory epithelium but does have a few cells that have been described as similar to bipolar sensory neurons but lacking an axon. The location and structure suggest that the human organ, if functional, might be stimulated by airborne chemicals rather than by stimuli dissolved in mucus. Studies of the human genome indicate that a gene thought to be essential for vomeronasal sensory neuron function in other species is non-functional in humans, apes and other old-world primates. The accessory olfactory bulbs, to which VN nerves normally project in mammals, also have not been identified in humans, raising additional questions about human VNO function. The central target of VNO input in mammals, the cortico-medial amygdala, is present in humans (see diagram) and does receive chemosensory input (from the main olfactory system). It surely shares some functions with the amygdala in other mammals but it is not yet clear whether these include the receipt of purely vomeronasal input, or the analysis of pheromone-related information (whether or not from the vomeronasal system). (See 'Human Vomeronasal Organ' and Extended-text for more details. See 'Mammalian Vomeronasal Organ' for information on better studied systems). Select other topics from the list, or go to Extended text. The diagram shows the location of the vomeronasal organ in adult humans. There is no obvious bulge in the nasal septum indicating its position. The duct opening (VNO pit), that can be observed with an endoscope in most adult humans, is at the anterior end (black dot next to arrowhead). There is no evidence for true vomeronasal sensory nerves connecting the organ to the brain. There are nerves running behind the VNO and extending back to the brain (? on the diagram) but they may be only Nervus terminalis, trigeminal and autonomic nerve branches (See also Extended-text). The organ shows some differences in structure compared with other mammalian organs. It has no obvious thick sensory epithelium but does have a few cells that have been described as similar to bipolar sensory neurons but lacking an axon. The location and structure suggest that the human organ, if functional, might be stimulated by airborne chemicals rather than by stimuli dissolved in mucus. Studies of the human genome indicate that a gene thought to be essential for vomeronasal sensory neuron function in other species is non-functional in humans, apes and other old-world primates. The accessory olfactory bulbs, to which VN nerves normally project in mammals, also have not been identified in humans, raising additional questions about human VNO function. The central target of VNO input in mammals, the cortico-medial amygdala, is present in humans (see diagram) and does receive chemosensory input (from the main olfactory system). It surely shares some functions with the amygdala in other mammals but it is not yet clear whether these include the receipt of purely vomeronasal input, or the analysis of pheromone-related information (whether or not from the vomeronasal system). (See 'Human Vomeronasal Organ' and Extended-text for more details. See 'Mammalian Vomeronasal Organ' for information on better studied systems). Select other topics from the list, or go to Extended text. The diagram shows the location of the vomeronasal organ in adult humans. There is no obvious bulge in the nasal septum indicating its position. The duct opening (VNO pit), that can be observed with an endoscope in most adult humans, is at the anterior end (black dot next to arrowhead). There is no evidence for true vomeronasal sensory nerves connecting the organ to the brain. There are nerves running behind the VNO and extending back to the brain (? on the diagram) but they may be only Nervus terminalis, trigeminal and autonomic nerve branches (See also Extended-text). The organ shows some differences in structure compared with other mammalian organs. It has no obvious thick sensory epithelium but does have a few cells that have been described as similar to bipolar sensory neurons but lacking an axon. The location and structure suggest that the human organ, if functional, might be stimulated by airborne chemicals rather than by stimuli dissolved in mucus. Studies of the human genome indicate that a gene thought to be essential for vomeronasal sensory neuron function in other species is non-functional in humans, apes and other old-world primates. The accessory olfactory bulbs, to which VN nerves normally project in mammals, also have not been identified in humans, raising additional questions about human VNO function. The central target of VNO input in mammals, the cortico-medial amygdala, is present in humans (see diagram) and does receive chemosensory input (from the main olfactory system). It surely shares some functions with the amygdala in other mammals but it is not yet clear whether these include the receipt of purely vomeronasal input, or the analysis of pheromone-related information (whether or not from the vomeronasal system). (See 'Human Vomeronasal Organ' and Extended-text for more details. See 'Mammalian Vomeronasal Organ' for information on better studied systems). Select other topics from the list, or go to Extended text.

• Hibernators may hold the key for better human organ preservation - San Diego, CA -- When most of us think of hibernating animals, we think of bears. But a more commonly sighted hibernator, with a more remarkable story, is the 13-lined ground squirrel. These small mammals, often erroneously called 'gophers,' are actually relatives of chipmunks and ground hogs and are commonly seen around the golf courses, lawns and prairies of the American Midwest. Although a problem for groundskeepers because of their habit of digging holes, soon they could be famous for providing clues to keeping life-saving human transplant organs viable for extended periods of time.

• GCRC Committees - To learn more about normal and abnormal body function and about the cause, prevention, and cure of human disease. To encourage, develop, and maintain a corps of expert clinical investigators.

• West Nile Virus & Human Health - Most people who contract the virus experience mild, flu-like symptoms, or no symptoms at all, and probably do not realize that they have been infected. Those most susceptible to the potentially serious effects of the virus are the elderly and those with compromised immune systems. West Nile Virus is not transmissible from person to person.

• Communicable Disease Surveillance and Response - Every country should be able to detect, verify rapidly and respond appropriately to epidemic-prone and emerging disease threats when they arise to minimize their impact on the health and economy of the world's population.

• Paget's Disease of Bone - Condition characterised by high rates of bone resorption and disorganised immature new bone formation ® abnormal remodelling of bone First described by Sir James Paget in 1876 and evidence of the disease found in Neanderthal man -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Incidence Affects more than 3% of population over 40 years of age around 2% of the population at age 40 to around 10% in the elderly (more than 80 years) Relatively common in Anglo-Saxons, Britain, Germany and Australia Britain has the highest recorded prevalence In Australia the prevalence among British born immigrants is intermediate between the British rate and the native born Australians Rare in Scandinavia, Russia, Italy, Asia, Africa and the Middle East Affects American whites and blacks equally ® suggest environmental factor contributing to aetiology Male : Female 7:6 Probably equal overall incidence but in younger individuals males slightly more frequent Only occasionally presents in people under 50 years There is evidence of a decline in incidence of the disease in Britain and USA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aetiology The primary abnormality is thought to lie in the osteoclasts but the precise cause remains unknown Viral aetiology suggested by the isolation of viral intra-nuclear inclusion bodies in osteoclasts on EM which resemble those of measles (Rebel 1976, Mills 1976) Antigen to measles virus, simian virus 5 and human parainfluenza virus type 3 detected in abnormal osteoclasts (Basle 1985) Measles virus not detected (Gordon 1991) Canine distemper virus (CDV) in 41% of Pagetic osteoclasts, osteocytes and osteoblasts (Gordon 1991) Slow virus type aetiology consistent with familial incidence

• What is Molecular Medicine? - Important Information and Disclaimer: All material in this website is copyrighted. Lessons Plans may be copied without permission as long as the copyright information is left intact. Any story submitted to this web site becomes the property of the web site. The content displayed on this website is intended to be educational. Curt's Human Disease Website does not give advice or medical care to its viewers, nor can it take responsibility for how the information presented is used by the public.