HEALTH AND WELLNESS

                         OUR BODY: A COLLECTION OF MICROSCOPIC CHAINS Have you ever thought of your body as a collection of microscopic chains? Perhaps not. But in reality, “at the level of its smallest relevant components,” says the book The Way Life Works, life employs “THE CHAIN AS ITS ORGANIZING PRINCIPLE.” For that reason, just a small defect in some of these chains can have a MAJOR impact on our health. What are these chains? How do they function? And how do they relate to our health and well-being? Basically, they are chainlike molecules that fall into TWO main categories. The molecules we will consider in this article are the PROTEINS. The others are the molecules that STORE and TRANSMIT genetic information –DNA and RNA. Of course, the two groups are INTIMATELY related. In fact, one key function of DNA and RNA is to produce life’s vast array of PROTEINS.                                                          HOW ARE PROTEINS MADE? 1.        Inside a ce

             According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, between 1980 and 2002, the number of overweight adolescents tripled and the number of overweight preteens more than doubled. Long-term increased risks associated with childhood obesity include high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and several types of cancer. The term “childhood obesity” refers to a medical condition that affects children and adolescents. Experts say that young people who are overweight have a 70 percent chance of being overweight as adults.     Childhood obesity may be related to a number of factors, including a sedentary lifestyle, advertising campaigns directed at young people, and the availability and affordability of healthy foods. The U.S Centers for Disease Control says: “Childhood obesity is the result of eating too many calories and not getting enough physical activity.” Children, adolescents, and adults would do well to take a close look at their

                           Every day your body wages war against enemies that are silent and unseen but potentially deadly. Foreign invaders, such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites, threaten your health. Most microbes do not cause disease. This article focuses on microorganisms and other infective agents that threaten your health. You are not likely to be aware of those battles because your immune system repels or destroys most of the invaders before the onset of symptoms. Sometimes, however, the harmful germs gain the upper hand. If so, you may need to bolster your defenses with medicine and other treatments. For thousands of years, people knew virtually nothing about the dangers of microscopic or other small harmful organisms. However, when 19 th -century scientists confirmed the link between germs and disease, we became better equipped to defend ourselves. Medical researchers have since eliminated or greatly reduced the threat of some infectious diseases, inc