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Medicine Facts

The Plague

Plague is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. The bacterium is found mainly in rodents, particularly rats, and in the fleas that feed on them. Other animals and humans ... Continue reading

Prairie dogs sometimes carry plague.

What Is Botulism?

Botulism is a rare but serious paralytic illness caused by a nerve toxin that is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. There are three main kinds of botulism. Foodborne botulism is caused ... Continue reading

Your Friend, the Fat Cell

A healthy, adult human body contains about 35 billion fat cells. Each contains about 0.5 micrograms of fat. Stored fat is essential to good health. Fat is the body's principal energy reserve. It is ... Continue reading

Mature fat cells filled with fat.

There's No Such Thing as a Safe Suntan

Every time you step outdoors, you are bombarded by ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. UV rays cause the number of free radicals in cells to increase. Free radicals are atoms or molecules that ... Continue reading