by Olwen Reina | May 13, 2016 | Disease Models
Q 1 & 2: What Are Astrocytes? What Do Astrocytes Do? Astrocytes or astroglia are the largest and most numerous types of glial cells (see below) in the Central Nervous System (CNS). There are various subtypes of astrocytes within the different regions of the brain...
by Karen O'Hanlon Cohrt | Feb 22, 2019 | Disease Models
Most of us will remember from high school biology class that kidneys comprise part of the excretory system and function in toxin removal, maintaining electrolyte homeostasis and regulating the body’s acid-base balance. Beyond this, proper kidney function is also...
by Olwen Reina | Jun 11, 2016 | Disease Models
A few years ago, I got into a heated debate. The topic was: what is the largest organ in the body? My “opponent”, a very bright student studying human health and disease, insisted that the liver was the largest, while I contended that it was the skin. I...
by Olwen Reina | Jun 20, 2016 | Disease Models
What goes into enjoying a cup of hot coffee? There is the distinct fruity, flowery, nutty aroma. Hearing the crunch of when you plunge a spoon into the ground beans. The soothing sound of water being poured. The feeling of warm pressure as you grasp the handle and the...
by Olwen Reina | Jul 17, 2016 | Disease Models
Not a week goes by that I don’t see an article in my newsfeed about some new possible treatment to cure something or other. When you start looking into the “New Treatment Can Cure Most Forms of Cancer!” usually it’s some new therapeutic that...
by Olwen Reina | Sep 13, 2016 | Disease Models
What are keratinocytes? Take a look at your hands, your face and your toes. Most of what you’re seeing are your keratinocytes. They make up over 90% of the cells of the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin. The skin on your neck and the soles of your feet,...
