Category: Ah-Al

Poisoning or toxicity due to exposure tohigh concentrations of aluminum. A naturally occurring element that makes up about 8% of the surface of the earth and is always found combined with other elements such as oxygen, silicon, and fluorine. Aluminum is the most common metallic element in the earth’s crust but has no clear biologic…

Poisoning or toxicity due to exposure tohigh concentrations of aluminum. A naturally occurring element that makes up about 8% of the surface of the earth and is always found combined with other elements such as oxygen, silicon, and fluorine. Aluminum is the most common metallic element in the earth’s crust but has no clear biologic…

A naturally occurring element that makes up about 8% of the surface of the earth and is always found combined with other elements such as oxygen, silicon, and fluorine. Aluminum is the most common metallic element in the earth’s crust but has no clear biologic role. Everyone is exposed to low levels of aluminum from…

Altitude sickness occurs at high altitude. So what is high altitude? Altitude is defined on the following scale: High altitude: 8,000 – 12,000 feet (2,438 – 3,658 meters); Very high altitude: 12,000 – 18,000 feet (3,658 – 5,487 meters); and Extremely high altitude: 18,000+ feet (5,500+ meters). Most people can go up to 8,000 feet (2,438 meters)…

The process of adapting to the decrease in oxygen concentration at a specific altitude. A number of changes must take place for the body to operate with decreased oxygen. These changes include increasing the depth of respiration; increasing the pressure in the pulmonary arteries, forcing blood into portions of the lung that are normally not used…

Altitude sickness (or altitude illness) is a disorder caused by being at high altitude. It more commonly occurs above 8,000 feet (2,440 meters). The cause of altitude illness is a matter of oxygen physiology. At sea level the concentration of oxygen is about 21% and the barometric pressure averages 760 mmHg. As altitude increases, the concentration remains…

Altitude illness (or altitude sickness) is a disorder caused by being at high altitude. It commonly occurs above 8,000 feet (2,440 meters). The cause of altitude illness is a matter of oxygen physiology. At sea level the concentration of oxygen is about 21% and the barometric pressure averages 760 mmHg. As altitude increases, the concentration remains the…

A mechanism by which different forms of mature mRNAs (messengers RNAs) are generated from the same gene. Alternative splicing is a regulatory mechanism by which variations in the incorporation of the exons, or coding regions, into mRNA leads to the production of more than one related protein, or isoform.

National Center for Complementary & Alternative Medicine: Abbreviated NCCAM. A part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), this center “conducts and supports basic and applied research and training and disseminates information on complementary and alternative medicine to practitioners and the public.” NCCAM “identifies and evaluates unconventional health care practices; and supports, coordinates and conducts research and research…

Alternative medicine is the term for medical products and practices that are not part of standard care. Standard care is what medical doctors, doctors of osteopathy, and allied health professionals, such as nurses and physical therapists, practice. Alternative medicine is used in place of standard medical care. An example is treating heart disease with chelation therapy (which…