The Human Nose

The human nose is a sense organ which allows us to smell. Another word for smell is olfaction.  The olfactory receptors in the nose help to identify food, mates, predators, and provides both sensual pleasure in the odour of flowers and perfume, as well as warnings of danger, for example spoiled food, fire or chemical […]

The Human Mouth

The mouth is the beginning of the digestive tract, otherwise known as the alimentary canal.  The mouth has a number of very important functions involved in the digestion of food, breathing, communication and the immune system. The boundaries of the mouth are formed by the lips, cheeks, floor of the mouth, and palate. The mouth […]

Kidney Failure

Kidney failure can be defined as one or both kidneys failing to adequately filter waste and toxins from the blood. Kidney failure is either acute or chronic. Acute kidney failure occurs suddenly, whereas chronic kidney failure develops over a period of time. Kidney failure is also known as renal failure and can be permanent or […]

The Ankle Joint

The ankle joint is a synovial hinge joint located in the lower limb.  It is formed by the bones of the leg, the tibia and fibula, and the talus of the foot.  The tibia and fibula are bound together by strong ligaments and together they form a bracket shaped socket known as a mortise.  The body of the talus in the foot fits snugly into the mortise, forming the ankle joint.

The Shoulder

The shoulder is made up of three bones, the scapula or the shoulder blade, the clavicle or the collar bone and the humerus or the bone in the upper arm. These bones are joined with two joints. These joints are the acromioclavicular (AC) joint and the glenohumeral joint which is the traditional ball and socket joint that allows complete range of motion in the shoulder.

Chondromalacia Patella

Chondromalacia literally means softening of the cartilage, and patella means knee cap. Chondromalacia patella means softening of the articular cartilage of the knee cap.  The articular cartilage is the cartilage lining under the knee cap that articulates with the knee joint. Normally, it is smooth and shiny, so that it glides smoothly along the articular […]