Credit: iStock Our immune system’s job is to protect our body and work as a self-defense tool against viruses and other harmful substances. Our immune system works as a cohesive unit spread across our body in different organs, cells and even the blood. Without it, our bodies would be more prone to infection and we … Continue reading May The Best Immune System Breathe!
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New Thoughts on Why You Can’t Sleep
Credit: iStock This month, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the American Physiological Society journal Physiological Reviews, we are highlighting recent research published in the journal. Interested in reading more in celebration of Physiological Reviews’ birthday? Read our spotlight on migraine, about bariatric surgery’s effect on hunger and about targeting the immune system to treat cancer. It’s the … Continue reading New Thoughts on Why You Can’t Sleep
Season’s Greetings from I Spy Physiology!
Credit: iStock I Spy Physiology is taking a short break for the holidays. We’ll be back in 2020 with more physiology news, facts and features. While we’re gone, check out these winter-themed posts: Is (Winter) Happiness in the Eye of the Beholder?Bring on Winter! (But Stay Safe and Healthy) And don’t forget to catch up … Continue reading Season’s Greetings from I Spy Physiology!
Spotlight On: The Skeletal System
If you’ve ever seen a house being built, you’ll recognize the wooden framework as the beginning of the structure. Just as this framework provides the structure for the insulation, walls and roof of a house, our bones are also a strong framework. Bones provide a firm support system that protects our internal organs and give … Continue reading Spotlight On: The Skeletal System
Running on Empty: No Oxygen Needed!
Take a deep breath in. Now breathe out. Each time we breathe, oxygen enters the bloodstream to keep our organs alive and working. When oxygen can’t get to our body’s tissues, they begin to fail. This is true of all organs, but most of all the brain. In conditions like stroke and cardiac arrest—when the … Continue reading Running on Empty: No Oxygen Needed!
2018’s Most-read Posts
December is here again, and we’ve tackled another year of physiology facts on the I Spy Physiology blog. This year, we’ve delved into topics ranging from the link between childhood stress and medical problems in adulthood, to how researchers use virtual reality in the classroom to teach physiology, to the many reasons why marriage is … Continue reading 2018’s Most-read Posts
Walk It Out: How Frequent Walking Breaks Help Your Brain
“Sit less, move more.” This message is being increasingly promoted in the world of health and fitness and in society at large and for good reason. The time we spend sitting is directly related to our health. In fact, too much sitting might even be harmful to people who exercise regularly. Sitting continuously for three … Continue reading Walk It Out: How Frequent Walking Breaks Help Your Brain
The Dog Days of Summer Running
It’s August in Louisville, Ky., and my alarm goes off at 5:40 a.m. Time for my morning run with my four-legged running buddy, Julep. After I do some light stretching, we’re pounding the pavement by 6 a.m. to get a 5-mile run in. I choose to exercise before work because it’s (slightly) cooler compared … Continue reading The Dog Days of Summer Running
A Scientist’s Quest to Understand the Box Jellyfish that Almost Killed Her
About 50 different species of box jellyfish live in the Pacific Ocean and on the coasts of Florida and New Jersey. When the box jellyfish stings, it shoots venom from its tentacles into a person’s flesh with as much pressure as a bullet fired from a gun. The unique venom contains many different types of … Continue reading A Scientist’s Quest to Understand the Box Jellyfish that Almost Killed Her
Happy Holidays from I Spy Physiology
Our blog is on winter break this week. See you in 2018! Have a safe and happy holiday season. - Erica Roth