Venous drainage in lower limb is important as venous blood has to ascend against gravity. Failure of this drainage can give rise to distension of veins [varicose veins] and limb swelling apart from other sequelae. Veins of Lower Limb The veins may be classified into three groups: superficial, deep and perforating. Superficial Veins Superficial […]
Basics
Dermatomes and Myotomes of Lower Limb
The area of skin supplied by one spinal nerve is called a dermatome. A spinal nerve also supplies muscles that are derived from one myotome. A myotome is the dorsal part of each somite in a vertebrate embryo, giving rise to the skeletal musculature. The cutaneous innervations of the lower limbs are derived – Mainly […]
Fluid and Electrolytes Balance in Body
Fluid and electrolytes balance depends upon the ingestion and excretion of fluids as well as electrolytes. Water is main source of fluids. Water is provided by drinking or ingested in solid food. Sodium, potassium and magnesium are main electrolytes in body. Body fluid volume and electrolyte concentration are normally maintained within very narrow limits despite […]
Muscles of Abdominal Wall
There are four main muscles of abdominal wall. There are four large muscles on either side of the midline. External oblique Internal oblique Transversus abdominis Rectus abdominis. Apart from these, two muscles namely cremaster and the pyramidalis are also present. The external oblique and the transversus abdominis end in aponeurosis that reaches the midline. The aponeuroses of […]
Complete Blood Count or CBC
CBC or Complete blood count is a series of tests cried out on a blood sample that give information about the cells circulating within the blood. There are three main types of cells which circulate in the bloodstream Red blood cells (RBCs or erythrocytes) White blood cells (WBCs or leukocytes) Platelets (thrombocytes). RBCs provide oxygen […]
Breath Sounds Types and Differentiation
Lung sounds are mainly classified into breath sounds and adventitious sounds. Breath sounds are normal noises that can be heard on the chest wall with breathing. Adventitious lung sounds are abnormal sounds superimposed on the breath sounds and usually indicate some type of respiratory disorder. Breath Sounds Normal breath sounds are of four types Tracheal […]
Lungs Anatomy and Physiology
Lungs are balloon like structures in the body whose purpose is gas exchange. When we take our breath, called inspiration, atmospheric air enters the airways and travels to the alveoli, the smallest units of lung for air exchange. Oxygen diffuses from the alveolus through the alveolar-capillary membrane into the blood, and carbon dioxide diffuses from […]
ESR or Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate
What is ESR? ESR or erythrocyte sedimentation rate is also called a sedimentation rate or Biernacki Reaction. The test was invented by the Polish doctor Edmund Biernacki. ESR is a common test in hematology, a branch of pathology dealing in blood investigations and measures the rate at which red blood cells sediment in a period […]
Stem Cells – Definition, Types and Uses
Stem cells are special types of cells which have the characteristic ability to renew themselves through mitotic cell division and differentiating into a diverse range of specialized cell types. [Mitosis is a kind of cell division in which two similar cells are produced from one cell.] Stem cells are present in most multi-cellular organisms. The […]
What Is Apoptosis?
Apoptosis is programmed cell death that is carried out in a multicellular organism. Apoptosis leads to the production of cell fragments called apoptotic bodies that phagocytic cells engulf and quickly remove. Apoptosis is designed to carry out functions of the body development. For example, the differentiation of fingers and toes in a developing human embryo […]