Human Anatomy

Recently Answered

• QHow does the body naturally detox itself?

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  A Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answered

  Oftentimes people don't realize that the body has its own extraordinary internal detoxification system. Here's a brief look at three critical organs involved:
  

  • The Liver: Your first line of defense against toxins is your liver, which acts like a filter in preventing toxic substances contained in foods from passing into your blood stream.
  • The Colon: This organ has bacteria that produce both healthy and unhealthy chemicals. You want to keep your colon flowing regularly since its main role is to flush out toxic chemicals before they can do you any harm.
  • The Kidneys: Like clockwork, the kidneys are constantly filtering your blood and getting rid of toxins in the form of urine.

  
  This content originally appeared on doctoroz.com
• QWhat is the function of the pelvic floor?

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  A Dr. May M. Wakamatsu, MD , Gynecology, answered

  The urinary system, the intestines, and the reproductive organs are supported by ligaments and the pelvic floor. The pelvic floor is an important network of muscles and connective tissue that extends from your pubic bone to your tailbone, with openings for the urethra and anus, as well as the vagina in women. Most of the time, certain pelvic muscles stay contracted to hold the pelvic organs in place against the pull of gravity.
  
  When you are active or trying to avoid urination, you can voluntarily tighten these muscles, along with the external urethral sphincter, to provide added support and prevent leakage. When you urinate, your pelvic floor muscles and urethral sphincter relax, and your bladder muscles contract, sending the urine from the bladder, through the urethra, and out of the body. When the bladder is empty, the bladder muscles relax, and the sphincter and pelvic muscles tighten.
• QWhat is basal body temperature?

  2 Answers

  A

  

  A Univ. of Nev. School of Medicine, Family Medicine answered

  Basal body temperature is the body's lowest temperature measured at absolute rest. This is often used as a natural way to assess fertility, since a woman's basal body temperature is likely to be slightly higher during ovulation.

  See All 2 Answers
• QWhat is the femoral triangle?

  1 Answer

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  A National Athletic Trainers' Association answered

  The femoral triangle is an area in the upper medial aspect of the thigh, where the femoral nerve, artery, and vein pass through. It is bordered by the inguinal ligament at the top, the sartorius muscle on the lateral side, and the adductor longus medially.

  (This answer provided for NATA by the University of Tampa Athletic Training Education Program)

• QWhat is a fistula?

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  A Society of Interventional Radiology answered

  A fistula is an communication that connects internal structures with the body’s surface. This can be surgically created but usually it is an abnormal formation that requires treatment.
• QWhat is a good book to learn the anatomy of the human body?

  2 Answers

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  A Mike Allard , NASM Elite Trainer , Fitness, answered

  "Human Anatomy" (6th edition) by Frederic H. Martini, Michael J. Timmons, Robert B. Tallitsch. This book is pricier than some but definitely worth the cost. 
  
  Another of my favorite anatomy resources is "Netter's Anatomy Flash Cards". This is a fantastic tool for studying and review. They are easy to understand and very detailed.
  
  Both items can be found on sites like Amazon.com

  See All 2 Answers
• QWhat are characteristics of the apple body type?

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  A Dr. Anthony M. Gonzalez, MD , Surgery, answered on behalf of Baptist Health South Florida

  We have learned through research that people who are shaped like apples -- with their fat mainly in the abdomen -- have worse illness associated with them. Patients who are shaped like apples are more likely to suffer from:

  • high blood pressure
  • high cholesterol
  • diabetes
  • heart disease
  • cancer

  See All 2 Answers
• QWhat are the differences between the apple and pear shaped bodies?

  3 Answers

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  A Dr. Harris H. McIlwain, MD , Rheumatology, answered

  

  Some scientists put us in various categories, depending on the way we are built. For example, there are those men and women we call "apples," who accumulate fat at the waistline (mostly men); pears (mostly women) are those who carry more weight below the waist and around the thighs and upper legs. If you are an apple body type, you have a higher risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, and even some cancers -- and you have an increased risk of suffering with back pain.

  

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  See All 3 Answers
• QWhat is the theory of the four humors?

  2 Answers

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  A Discovery Health answered

  The ancient Greeks used the term 'humors' to describe a liquid or semiliquid substance in the body. Hippocrates, of ancient Greece, believed in the theory of four 'humors' -- yellow bile, black bile, phlegm and blood.
  
  The theory holds that good health results when the four humors are in balance. Any imbalance, however, results in an illness or a personality problem.

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• QWhat are the main organ systems in the body?

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  A Dr. William B. Salt, MD , Gastroenterology, answered

  

  There are multiple organ systems at work within you, all of which are in
  relationship with one another.
  
  The main organ systems of your body include:
  
  Circulatory system: heart, blood, blood vessels, and lymphatics
  
  Digestive system: esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and colon
  
  Endocrine system: pituitary, thyroid, ovaries, and testes
  
  Immune system: organs (including lymphatics and spleen), special
  cells, proteins, and tissues
  
  Integumentary system: skin, hair, nails, and sweat glands
  
  Muscular system: muscles
  
  Nervous system: brain, spinal cord, and nerves
  
  Reproductive system: uterus, penis, ovaries, and testes
  
  Respiratory system: nose, larynx, trachea, diaphragm, bronchi, and
  lungs
  
  Skeletal system: bones, cartilage, and joints
  
  Urinary system: kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder, and urethra

  

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