HUMAN ANATOMY ORGANS DIAGRAM

We all care about something, when it is about us. Ironically the most important thing to us which is our life, we leave in the hands of many others, mostly to those in the health care field. Of course we are all not doctors and nurses, so we have to entrust ourselves to those who are. To a point, and that's the point I am making here. We have the responsibility to ourselves to know what we are made of, so we can make sound educated judgments, when it comes to health issues.

I am not just referring to basic knowledge, I am talking about a good understanding of anatomy and physiology which I again say " its all about you". If you can clear your way to thinking, that the body is about you personally and not a separate entity , then you have a better understanding of the importance in getting to know it.

Let me give you an example. When the economy is at its peak, people will go out and buy a vehicle that appeals to them. Perhaps they have heard about it through an advertisement, or a friend has one. They don't base their decision on what they know personally, instead they base it on the word of others. Now a big factor here is money.

If the money situation is good then you can afford to be more daring. On the other hand, when money is tight people do a lot more investigating into purchases. For example they make it their business to find out how good the car is on gas, or how durable it is, or what are they getting exactly for the money. Now why does this happen? Simple, when money is tight, people have more to lose, so they are more careful, because they won't have the means to replace it.

This is exactly how we are with our anatomy and physiology. When it seems to be working it great condition, we just go about our daily routine, not even giving a thought as to why its working so good, and what can we really do to keep it that way. Then the unfortunate day may come when you have just had your medical exam done, and the doctor says there is a problem.

For example, he may say your thyroid is malfunctioning. Perhaps you haven't even heard the word thyroid. So now you don't even know just how much trouble you may be in. Is it serious or what? All of a sudden now you will go on a crash course of learning a lot more of what the body is all about. At least where it pertains to your problems. You will most likely jump onto the internet, and type in the word "thyroid". By the time you are finished you will be an expert on it.

I am not suggesting that you have to be a graduate student of the studies of anatomy and physiology. I am saying if you know your body well, then you are in a strong position to take preventative measures against illness. In addition you are well more informed from the start about potential problems you may be faced with. I mean by not knowing about the details of your body you could be creating a great deal of unnecessary stress for yourself.

o First of all memorizing the term and its meaning is very similar to learning a foreign language. That's why I have borrowed a tip to remember the words. Take a bunch of index cards and write down a term on one side of the card and its meaning on other side of it. Do it with all the terms you need to memorize. Now going through the cards one by one flipping them makes it much easier to memorize the terms. Alternate back and forth until you can give the meaning or the term and then look at the definition first and name the term.

o Second tip that was extremely helpful for me is to have some visualization of the human anatomy. You know that people receive the large portion of information from environment through eyes. Pictures and diagrams are good help. But I found even better solution. There are some pieces of software that show the three dimensional human skeletal and muscular structure. Never underestimate the power of animation. You will be surprised how easier it makes memorizing the bones and muscles of human body.

The study of anatomy, however, is not and cannot be as dynamic as the life science study of how the human body actually works and how the parts of the body behave and interact with each other. This science is called human physiology.

The body's organization

The body is organized on four different levels:

1. Chemical - at the very smallest and base level, the body consists of atoms and molecules


2. Cellular- on the next level, the atoms and molecules make up cells. Cells are the body's base level structure. The body consists of various kinds of cells which include: white and red blood cells; fat cells; muscle cells and nerve cells


3. Tissue - The body contains just 4 tissue types: muscle; nervous; epithelial; and connective tissue. Tissue consists of cell groups & the surrounding matter which both function together to do a specific job.


4. Organ- an organ consists of 2 or more kinds of tissue. Organs have specific shapes and perform different individual functions. The liver, for example, is a vital organ responsible for many things including detoxifying the body and producing biochemicals, called bile, to help digestion. The liver consists of nervous, connective and muscle tissue.

The body's systems

The body is made up of ten different systems which work together to make the body function. These systems are: Endocrine system; Nervous system; Circulatory system; GastroIntestinal system; Integumentary system; Respiratory system; Urinary system; Reproductive system; Musculoskeletal system; Immune system.

The way in which the body's systems work and interact with each other is called integration. Many systems, whilst they have their own specific function, work in parallel with other systems to ensure the body works as it should.

The way in which the body's systems talk to each other is called communication. It is vital that all parts of the body know what's going on in other parts of the body so that optimum performance can be achieved.

When everything is working well in the body and it is operating efficiently and normally, it is said to be in a state of homeostasis. However, this balance is a delicate one and many things can go wrong with the body - be it for external or internal reasons. The body then reacts to try and correct the balance using its various systems but it cannot always achieve this. This is where modern day medicine steps in to try and fix what the body itself cannot.

The study of human physiology and anatomy has been around for over 2000 years. The research by pioneers such as Aristotle and Hippocrates was quite basic but kicked off the more complex life science study we know today. Modern day human physiology however gives us the knowledge to learn more about how our bodies work thus helping all of us to live longer and healthier lives.

When I was coming up in college, there wasn't too many things that were around to help us. But quite recently, there has been an outbreak of educating our youth, giving them guide and aides. I honestly believe that the traditional way of studying which is going to class and being lectured is starting to become outdated.

Sure it has it's place, but there are things that you can do to study the subject better, there are software that can help you with these things. We are going to give you some features of the best guide, which is known as Human Anatomy Course.

The Basic Course
The first part that this Human Anatomy Course, (which we will link you to on the bottom), is actually going to tell you everything you need to know about the body and offer you a lesson on what you need to learn. There are some people who say that this can even replace a book!

So it's a pretty good situation. And it's a study aid as well, so you can expect it to be in-depth and awesome!

#2 - Detailed A & P Graphics
You will see that you are going to get graphics depicted each group or part of the muscle. This will definitely help you memorize the body better and quicker! It's one of those things that people overlook, but it is highly important to know each muscle group and what they do. This can help with so many subjects alone such as biomechanics, human anatomy and physiology, and many other classes as well!

Drug Dosage, Therapy, & Pharmacology Study Guide
If you are going towards the medical path or even sports medicine path, this can definitely help you in terms of giving treatment, you will get a human anatomy course and study guide on this portion of learning, Learning the drug dosages, therapy guides, oral and maxillofactal pathology and things of that nature, true medical stuff!

Here's a list of 10 facts regarding human organ anatomy:

• The definition of an organ is "a collection of tissue than together shares a common function".
• There are 78 different organs in the human body.
• Humans have 11 major organ systems. These are the muscular, endocrine, digestive, circulatory, lymphatic, integumentary, nervous, reproductive, respiratory, skeletal and excretory systems.
• Organs can be found in all higher biological organisms, also in plants.
• Some organ system work together or overlap. An example is the muscular and skeletal system. This is often referred to as the musculoskeletal system.
• There are six vital organs in the human body. Without these we will die. The vital organs are the brain, the heart, the liver the kidneys, the lungs and the pancreas.
• The largest human organ is the skin, obviously in surface but also in weight. The liver is our second largest organ.
• The smallest human organ is the pineal gland and is located close to the center of the brain.
• The least important organ in our body has for a long time thought to be the appendix, since the purpose of it has not been discovered. Recent studies however indicate that it produces and protects good bacteria, which help us digest food.
• The smallest bone is the human body is the stirrup which is located in the ear, while the largest is the femur, which is the thigh bone.

Human anatomy is purely related to the study of structure. It is not concerned with the study of functions of various parts of human body. In fact, there is another basic medical science, known as Physiology, which is concerned with the study of the function of various parts of human body. Anatomy just describes the structural details.

Yes, it is a fact that structure and function are very much inter-related and one cannot be understood without the other but a distinction has to be made because of the level of details in both fields. The details of human structure are so vast that they cannot be studied along with the vast details of human functions. That is why the study of function and structure is differentiated into two different branches of medical science.

It can be divided into three major categories.

1) Gross anatomy (macroscopic anatomy)
2) Microscopic anatomy (Histology)
3) Basic anatomy

Gross Anatomy: It deals with the study of macroscopic details of human structure. It is not concerned with fine microscopic structural details of human body and is studied with naked eye. It has two approaches of study: Systemic approach and regional approach. In systemic approach, the human body is considered to be composed of different organs systems while in regional approach, human body is considered to be composed of different regions.

Microscopic anatomy: It deals with the study of microscopic details of various structures of human body. Microscopic anatomy depends on an important instrument known as the microscope.

Basic anatomy: It is sometimes not considered as a major subdivision of human anatomy, however, it is very important for medical students who are new to the concepts of anatomy. Basic anatomy explains all the basic concepts of human anatomy so that the different structural arrangements of these basic components can be understood properly.

One night I was on an online forum and I saw a post about mnemonics, and it sounded like the perfect system to memorize anatomy. Although I always seem to have a hard time saying the word mnemonics out loud, it's a very logical system in itself. A mnemonic, quite simply, is a memory aid - a system designed to help you easily remember information.

By listening to audio recordings of these human anatomy mnemonics, my study time was more than cut in half for one simple reason - I was completely clear on every aspect of human anatomy, and if I had any doubts, I simply referred back to simple mnemonic queues which contained the answers I needed. Because I learnt it all through audio, it really stuck with me --unlike the printed words in books which I could never seem to get a handle on. The recordings kept my complete focus, and I was able to pick up many of the mnemonics on the first listen.

Check this out. The way I remember the tribuaries for the internal jugular vein is by memorizing one simple phrase: "Medical Schools Let Confident People In". It's not nonsense, it's an easy to remember acronym - and it holds the answers, from inferior to superior:

- Middle thyroid.
- Superior thyroid.
- Lingual.
- Common facial.
- Pharyngeal.
-.Inferior petrosal sinus.

That's why mnemonics are so effective, in that one easy to remember phrase there is not only memory queues for the answers, but also their order from inferior to superior. I learnt how to memorize human anatomy almost entirely without notes!

Did you know that;
In our stomach the food and liquids we take in are mixed with digestive juices. These are all mixed together within the stomach until they are small enough to be absorbed into our system. The interesting part is that each day this all adds up to about 11.5 liters which flows through the digestive system. Out of that entire amount only approx. 100mls is of no value to us, and ends up being passed through the bowels as feces.

Did you know that;
The stomach has to break down the different types of food we ingest. One of these being protein. To do the job the stomach secretes enzymes and hydrochloric acid. The stomach is so efficient at its job that between 2-6 hours later it is totally emptied of its contents and is ready for the next batch. Now you know why you're hungry.

Did you know that:
You liver is a food inspector? One of the jobs of the liver is to inspect the nutrients that are going to go to our bloodstream. Its job is to supply detoxification by getting rid of the impurities. This assists the digestion process. Good reason to keep your liver in top working condition.

Did you know that:
That by our not looking after our digestive system properly we could be hurting our financial economy? Well at least indirectly anyways. Digestive problems cost Approx billion every year in America, in both direct costs and individuals suffering from these problems who cannot work.

Did you know that:
We may be able to help control indigestion by the way we cook? In order for us to properly digest our food it takes 100 of enzymes of many different varieties. There are enzymes in our food, but we destroy these when we cook our food. So because the body needs them it is forced to manufacture them. After a while our body may get tired of doing all this extra work, so it will go on strike and not produce a efficient amount. Then once that happens, you better start heading for the antacids, because you are in for a bout of indigestion. With the germs and pesticides and other things that are foods are exposed to, unfortunately we really don't have a choice but to thoroughly cook our foods.

And saving the best for last...

Did you know that:
You could stand on your head and the food would still get down to your stomach? Now we really recommend that you don't do this. The reason it will get down there, is because the esophagus is about 25 cm., long, and our muscles will contract in waves to push the food down these 25 cm..

These facts that we have just covered are very interesting to most people. By listening to them or reading them, you have provided yourself with some fairly substantial knowledge about the digestive system. Imagine that, being able to learn something about the human body without becoming overwhelmed or bored. Now that is interesting!

Yet you must understand them in order to enter into your studies. A good example of this is the body cells. You can't categorize these into one part or organ because the entire body is made up of cells. So before you can delve into the deeper workings of the body, you must study the basics first.

You obviously entered the study of human anatomy because it intrigues you to the point where you want to know all about it. This is most probably because you intend to utilize it in some form of profession, such as a Doctor, Nurse or even a Para medic. This means that you are interested and enjoy the field. That is the first step into being successful in your studies. It is much easier to learn something if you have a keen interest in it, because you will retain more of the facts that you are learning. A word of warning, know when to take breaks from your studies. If you become frustrated too often, and for long periods of time, you could lose your interest because of this. Then your studies will suffer.

As we mentioned ,you need to know all about a cell. Now here's where it gets interesting because there are different shapes of cells, and each shape has a name. You have probably heard the term , dna. Well this is it. Everybody has unique cells, and its that uniqueness in the cell that makes up your dna.

You are really going to get excited when you see a cell under a microscope and know by the shape of it what part of the body it came from. To know this you have to learn how to identify them. As you read about them in your text book ,draw a picture of them in a column. In another column next to them write the name of what the cell is. Now leave a large 3rd column. Here you can write notes about that particular cell each time you come across information relating to them. Once again you have a good block of information. Studying in blocks is a perfect way to learn.

When you get to the point of studying an individual cell and all its components ,draw a large cell on a piece of paper , with the front of the cell cut off so you can see the inside of the cell. Now as you learn about each part of what that cell is made up of, draw it on the cell and color it. Now put the details about that part in a block of text, under the cell. Border the block of text in the same color you used on the part in the cell. You will now be able to read your notes, see the color, and quickly reference where it is in the cell. Using the colors is helping you to visualize and link information.

1. Babies have around 350 individual bones, while a grown up adult has 206. The reason for this is because many bones fuse together as we grow older. Examples are the cranium and the pelvis.
2. The spine is in a way the base of our skeleton and anchors all other bones. It is composed of 33 small bones called vertebrae.
3. The largest part of our skeleton is the femur, which is the upper part of our thigh, while the smallest is the stapes bone.
4. The human skeleton account for about 20 percent of an regular sized persons total body weight.
5. The functions of the skeleton is not only to be a framework for the body, but it also produces red and white blood cells, stores minerals and protects vital organs.
6. There are different type of bones; long bones, short bones, flat bones, irregular bones and sesamoid bones.
7. The bones come in 2 different categories, the compact bones(also known as dense bones), and trabecular bones(also called spongy bones). The compact type contributes to about 80 percent of total bone mass.
8. Joints are where two or more bones connect. There are 2 different ways of categorizing joints, by the way they connect and by mobility.
9. In structural classification, the types of joints are fibrous joints(joined with fibrous tissue), cartilaginous joints(joined by cartilage) and synovial joints(not directly joined).
10. By mobility, the types are called synarthrosis(little or no mobility), amphiarthrosis(slight movement) and diarthrosis(freely movable).

The most self evident purpose to understand anatomy is if you are thinking about to grow to be a doctor, nurse or physician's assistant. Persons who are intending on treating people's bodily diseases definitely need to have a stable knowledge of the human body and its functions. There is understandably no more important class for persons entering the field of medicine compared with the class of anatomy. This is one particular class for which you need to be wide conscious, take decent notes and dedicate yourself thoroughly. Anyone in the medical field that puts in the time to learn the body's arrangement and function well will find themselves well equipped to sort out anything that comes their way in the long term future.

Though medical students may profit the most from the study of anatomy, the ones having other areas as their majors will find learning anatomy as a very helpful thing that is going to be remarkably important in the forthcoming. For example, young people who are thinking about on being fitness instructors will need a firm grasp of how the human body works out.

Psychology students will profit from understanding anatomy too. After all, psychology is really the study of how the brain works. It is unachievable to genuinely appreciate why people suppose the way they do if you do not fully understand how the arrangement of brain is put-together and how it is physically doing work. Mastering anatomy will train psychology students how the brain runs electro-chemically, as well as how it goes in association with the nervous system, endocrine system and all of the other fundamental systems of the human body.

Those learners not in the sciences will benefit from understanding about human anatomy as well. Students planning on entering law school will benefit really from study in this area. Anytime that a case includes bodily trauma or sickness, lawyers will be very cheerful that they took the time to learn about how the body works.

Even for those whose career do not demand a need for awareness of the body, study in this area will pay dividends. People who know how the body runs will be able to take more suitable care of their bodies and remain in far better health. They will also be aware of when their body is not running as it must, so they will be confident enough to get themselves into the doctor's office well before a physical problem can reach a detrimental level. The amazing benefits of reading through human anatomy are there for everyone.

Both anatomy and physiology had been learned for a long period of time. Humankind have generally retained a curiosity about how they and various other living things are structured and how they perform functions. Many people throughout history have also been serious about reviewing and contrasting distinctive living beings to search for parallels and recognize discrepancies.

The research of anatomy concentrates on understanding about the specifications, contour, and specific location of different parts in human body. It constantly stresses around dissection, whereby examples are diligently cut up to reveal the structures within. Physical aspects of human body structures are frequently recognized without the aid of any instrument by a naked eye, or viewed with magnification of a special instrument known as microscope for more detail. Through the dissection course of action, students might diligently register everything they come across, and see how systems in the human body are joined. An imperfect understanding of anatomy may result in large confusion for medical students, since understanding anatomy is a necessary component of mastering the progress of ailment.

Anatomy can be thought to be a static study, while physiology is a lot more dynamic, concerning the chemical, physical, and electrical systems that make an organism function, from the operations which manage the rate of beating of heart to the elaborate systems involved in visual perception. In order to study physiology, it is ordinarily needed to work with living bodies or organs to totally realize physical functions, for instance the release of neurotransmitters inside the brain and the storage of energy in cells. Both anatomy and physiology could be analyzed with the aid of dissection and clinical investigation of biological materials from specimens.

Medical students understand anatomy and also physiology extensively over the course of their educations, so they really know the way the human body operates all together, and how the varied systems inside human body are associated with each other. These medical sciences also form a topic of attention for people in several allied health careers, including x-ray experts who ought to have a methodical information about anatomy to accomplish their job.

The structure and function of the parts of your body are intently connected with one another and basically, the study of one of them is incomplete without the other. For the reason that content of anatomy is structure and the topic of physiology is function, it is very clearly comparable to say that anatomy and physiology are tightly connected to one another and the study of a single of them alone is incomplete without the other. In-spite of the presence of the close relationship, it is always expected to retain a boundary amongst the two considering that both fields are incredibly broad in extent and studying both concurrently is a difficult process.

There are some resources on the Internet where you can take online tests. In my opinion developing a test taking skills is crucially important for your results in any test. If you develop a pattern of going through a test then each time you take a test it will be easier for you to follow the familiar path. As an example of such pattern it can be going through the test quickly finishing the questions you know the right answers for sure. Doing it over and over again will tremendously improve your results.

Now test taking skills will be useless if you don't know the subject. The hardest part in human anatomy and physiology study is to memorize the terms. As I mentioned you may be required tom memorize the Latin terms. To accomplish that I use visual aids and index cards. There are different pieces of computer software that give you in-depth visualization of human body, muscular and skeletal structure. I suggest you to take advantage of them. The index cards I use the same way if I was memorizing words of a foreign language.

Now switching over to another topic just for a moment, let me talk about curiosity. We are nosy creatures by habit, and thrive on learning interesting things. It doesn't matter on what topic for the most part, if has something to do with us either direct or indirectly, then we want to here it. Only however if it simple to understand.

Now back to the skeletal system. This is definitely all about us, in fact it is us. Its not up to someone else to look after what belongs to us. The human anatomy is really not nearly as complex as we make it out to be. That statement only holds true for those that are not doing an in-depth study of the body. In those cases, yes it is complex, but not beyond understanding. Its just a matter of how much knowledge is necessary for the purpose we need it for. So in the case of the individual that wants to go into the medical profession, he needs a lot more knowledge than the average person who just want to take care of what he owns. Namely our body.

So not only are we going to talk about some interesting facts about your bones, we are going to learn some things that are important to our everyday living. Do you know that you have been losing things from your skeletal system over the years?

When you were born you had about 350 brand new bones. Now if you could peek inside yourself you'd count around 206 or so. That's 90 less then what you started with. You know darn well you haven't had any surgery that removed 90 of your bones, and you also know that you were born perfectly healthy. This truly is a mystery, and now you're curious. Well actually it really isn't all that much of a mystery. Many of our bones simply fuse together throughout out lifespan. Part of the reason this happens is so those bones fusing together, can perform the functions we need as adults, which we didn't require as children.

Here is another point that may be of interest. Most of us reach our peak bone density or strength around the age of 20. So the adage that its "all down hill after 40" is misleading. Now don't let this thought depress you, and lead you to think that now that you're past twenty that you are past the prime of you life. It simply means that you need to ensure you are taking care of your body. particularly your skeletal system right from that age on. Not waiting till you reach 40 before you start thinking about what's good for your bones.

Lets cover one more interesting fact. There are so many to choose from its hard to decide which to share with you. How about those starvation diets that many of us have tried at some point in our life. We figure whatever damage they could cause is temporary right? Not so. you are damaging your bones because they are not being nourished properly. Who knows what lasting effects this could have.

So a little bit of basic knowledge about the body can mean a lot of good health through the years. You have to admit that some of the facts we covered here were quite interesting and did raise your curiosity.

Now switching over to another topic just for a moment, let me talk about curiosity. We are nosy creatures by habit, and thrive on learning interesting things. It doesn't matter on what topic for the most part, if has something to do with us either direct or indirectly, then we want to here it. Only however if it simple to understand.

Now back to the skeletal system. This is definitely all about us, in fact it is us. Its not up to someone else to look after what belongs to us. The human anatomy is really not nearly as complex as we make it out to be. That statement only holds true for those that are not doing an in-depth study of the body. In those cases, yes it is complex, but not beyond understanding. Its just a matter of how much knowledge is necessary for the purpose we need it for. So in the case of the individual that wants to go into the medical profession, he needs a lot more knowledge than the average person who just want to take care of what he owns. Namely our body.

So not only are we going to talk about some interesting facts about your bones, we are going to learn some things that are important to our everyday living. Do you know that you have been losing things from your skeletal system over the years?

When you were born you had about 350 brand new bones. Now if you could peek inside yourself you'd count around 206 or so. That's 90 less then what you started with. You know darn well you haven't had any surgery that removed 90 of your bones, and you also know that you were born perfectly healthy. This truly is a mystery, and now you're curious. Well actually it really isn't all that much of a mystery. Many of our bones simply fuse together throughout out lifespan. Part of the reason this happens is so those bones fusing together, can perform the functions we need as adults, which we didn't require as children.

Here is another point that may be of interest. Most of us reach our peak bone density or strength around the age of 20. So the adage that its "all down hill after 40" is misleading. Now don't let this thought depress you, and lead you to think that now that you're past twenty that you are past the prime of you life. It simply means that you need to ensure you are taking care of your body. particularly your skeletal system right from that age on. Not waiting till you reach 40 before you start thinking about what's good for your bones.

Lets cover one more interesting fact. There are so many to choose from its hard to decide which to share with you. How about those starvation diets that many of us have tried at some point in our life. We figure whatever damage they could cause is temporary right? Not so. you are damaging your bones because they are not being nourished properly. Who knows what lasting effects this could have.

So a little bit of basic knowledge about the body can mean a lot of good health through the years. You have to admit that some of the facts we covered here were quite interesting and did raise your curiosity.

Medical gel pads are a key component for ensuring the safety and comfort of patients during medical procedures. By conforming to their body shape and distributing their weight evenly, patients benefit from support, comfort, and pressure relief during procedures through the use of patient positioning gel. Surgical gel positioning products help airways to remain unrestricted and promote healthy breathing patterns to allow for safe anesthesia procedures.

To restrict unwanted movement, operating room gel pads maintain patient position so that the surgical area remains entirely stationary and doctors are able to perform successfully without worrying about unexpected motions. Additionally, surgical gel positioning can aid with medical staff's ability to handle and move patients during pre-operation preparatory procedures, surgery, and post-operation procedures.

There are a variety of positioning gels for different parts of the human anatomy. These gels prevent ulcers from forming in all of the areas of the body. The gels are made typically from a visoelastic polymer, which is flexible and allows blood to flow through the skin that would not be possible on other surfaces.

Patient positioning gel products are a highly effective and simple form of patient positioning. Medical gel pads prove useful for neonatal, pediatric, adolescent as well as adult applications and are often utilized by renowned hospitals and medical practices all over the country.

Although regarded to by many as a lesser effective approach and sometimes even a form of unproven 'witch' remedy, the practice of osteopathy, is as a matter of fact, a combination of science and philosophy and are based on scientific research and application of sound principles. The practice of osteopathy is governed by four underlying principles. These principles guide all the osteopathic practitioners in assessing, diagnosing, and treating their patients. The four principles are as follows:

The first principle of osteopathy is that the structure and function of the human body are interrelated. It was said by Dr. Andrew Taylor Still, the founder of Osteopathy, that 'disease is a result of anatomical abnormalities followed by physiologic discord'. This means that the body, in order to function well, must be free from any misalignment of its body parts. This principle regards the human body as a machine that in order for it to function in its optimal ability, all the body parts must be in their proper locations.

The second principle applied in the osteopathic approach is that the body is a single but dynamic unit of function. This means that the human body, in the osteopathic approach is always taken as a whole. Even one small abnormality to a small part of the body may cause for it not to function well. This principle may explain the holistic approach a knowledgeable osteopath follows when treating his or her patients.

The third principle says that the body has mechanisms that can heal and regulate itself. This basically means that the body is capable of maintaining a balanced state of function and all a great osteopath would do is to assist the body to do so. If the self-healing processes are also slowed down by the abnormalities happening in the body, a skillful osteopath may also help in alleviating these outside or inside forces that may help a patient's body to get back to its normal function.

Lastly of the principles states that rational and sound treatments are applied to patients based on these principles. Osteopathic treatment are based on an osteopath's knowledge of anatomy and physiology that are integrated with the aforementioned principles which make a holistic and non-invasive treatment plans for its patients.

These four principles are based on research and sound applications and principles. It's the application of these four osteopathic principles that make osteopaths one of the most effective and holistic manual therapies available.

I found there were many theories about how and why genital mutilation began but nobody knew for sure if any of them were true. Primitive people all over the globe have been practiced body modifications of every description, including genital cutting, for thousands of years.

As part of my inquiry, before I went to sleep one night I asked to know how circumcision began. In the middle of the night I saw a vivid vignette unfold, as if a television was sitting at the foot of my bed.

Two people appeared in the dream: an old man and a baby. The old man was crazy drunk and wanted to play with the baby's penis. Since a foreskin will retract and pull the penis into the body when it is cold and also when its owner is afraid, the old man could not access the baby's penis. This enraged him. He pulled out his knife and cut the baby's foreskin off.

From "The Rape of the Phallus" by Dr. William Keith C. Morgan in the Journal of the American Medical Association, July 1965:

"Why is the operation of circumcision practiced? One might as well attempt to explain the rites of voodoo!... it is part of an ancient rite practiced by many primitive tribes whereby the young male and less frequently the young female, gives proof of his or her ability to endure pain. If they pass the test with fortitude, they are then accepted into the tribe as fully developed adults with attendant privileges. Thus in this respect the operation is similar to many of the tattoos and scars produced by burning, piercing or incising that are accepted as routine cosmetic procedures by these peoples.

"Second, in many primitive African tribes circumcision is performed to reduce libido. This mutilating practice is generally performed on women to keep them faithful to their husbands. Male infant circumcision is practiced by all Semitic races, Jew and Arab alike, and has been exported by them to all parts of the world and to most races. It will perhaps be a cause of surprise to those of Semitic origin to find that the Australian aborigine has practiced circumcision for as long, if not longer, and for the same basic reason as his more civilized brethren."

Well, so much for modern and medical and upscale, logical and rational. Cutting off genitals is primal, primitive, base, emotional stuff.

The age chosen for circumcision varies according to the culture. The western, English-speaking world, which has followed the Judaic model, cuts the child at birth or a few days after. Other cultures wait until the boy is somewhat more grounded, around age five or twelve.

Some "coming of age" rituals during teen years involve not only genital mutilation but also haircutting, knocking out teeth, finger amputation, tattooing, scarring, and a variety of other quaint tribal markings. Some think the "coming of age" ritual is a message to the younger men in the family or tribe: "Our women are beginning to like you! Stay away from them! The women belong to us!"

You can read circumcision facts and myths from around the world and through the ages in Circumcision: A History of the World's Most Controversial Surgery by David Gollaher.

But why, given that neither the New Testament, the Book of Mormon nor any national medical organization in the world encourages the practice does circumcision have such a strong foothold in the supposedly civilized, modern, predominately Christian, United States of America?

Dear reader, make sure you are sitting down, because this is something many people find difficult to believe - but it's true! - circumcision began in the USA as a way to keep children from - egads! - touching themselves! - masturbating! Read these stirring words from the New Orleans Medical Journal in 1855...

Neither the plague, nor war, nor small pox, not a crowd of similar evils have resulted more disastrously for humanity, than the habit of masturbation: it is the destroying element of civilized society.

The last witch had been burned in the late 1700s as the evil spirit theory of disease was actively being discredited. But the evil spirit theory was soon replaced by the masturbation theory. Masturbation, doctors proclaimed, could make you crazy or physically ill - it could even kill you. You had to be saved from your evil ways - for your own good.

The witch hunt turned to an obsession for uncovering and punishing private sexual behavior, self-pleasuring.

"Over this period there was truly a remarkable upsurge in what can only be termed comic-book sadism. The advocacy of these bizarre [anti-masturbation] therapies was not confined to eccentrics. By about 1880 the individual who might wish for unconscious reasons to tie, chain, or infibulate sexually active children... to adorn them with grotesque appliances, encase them in plaster of Paris, leather or rubber, to frighten or even castrate them, could find humane and respectable medical authority for doing so in good conscience. Masturbational insanity was now real enough... it was affecting the medical profession." - Alex Comfort

Pain was considered to be a good thing in the war against pleasure...

"In cases of masturbation we must, I believe, break the habit by inducing such a condition of the parts as will cause too much local suffering to allow of the practice to be continued. For this purpose, if the prepuce is long, we may circumcise the male patient with present and probably with future advantages; the operation, too, should not be performed under chloroform, so that the pain experienced may be associated with the habit we wish to eradicate." - Athol A. W. Johnson, The Lancet, April 1860

When masturbation was thought to be the cause of all disease, doctors were under the spell of opinion-based medicine. They argued among themselves whether the masturbation theory of disease was to be blamed on loss of body fluids or from the shock of orgasm. Nobody bothered to test the theories surrounding masturbation and circumcision. No one has yet to research the long-term effects of circumcision. The U.S. is still working hard to replace opinion-based medicine with evidence-based medicine. Statistics mislead. The real story is in the numbers.

Numbers say that a lot of boys have been unnecessarily cut. Fortunately, I was savvy when it came to statistics -- I knew how they can be used to mislead, so a 50% reduction in UTIs translates to: where there used to be two UTIs in a hundred boys, now there is one. 100% of one is one and two of two. But two UTIs in a hundred boys means that millions of boys have been cut who would never have had a UTI! You could safely say that out of 100 boys who are cut, all are cut unnecessarily. Why? Because while those two little boys had a UTI, five little girls got UTIs and doctors used antibiotics for the little girls - and therefore doctors could have used antibiotics instead of cutting the boys.

Only six boys in 10,000 are circumcised in Europe for medical reasons. European doctors explain to boys how to stretch the skin if it is too tight; antibiotics are used for infections. In Europe and other intact cultures, cutting genital tissue is thought of as a drastic measure, bad medical practice.

Here in the USA, circumcision was sold to parents as a way to end the cause of all disease, which was purported to have been masturbation. Now we read a study that said the less men between the ages of 20 and 50 masturbate, the more likely they are to develop prostate cancer. Masturbation helps clear out the tiny little tubes in the male reproductive system, it said.

I wondered if present-day parents should be concerned if their children don't masturbate enough. Will doctors of the future recommend more masturbation so boys will be healthier?

"Son, you're looking a little sickly! Go to your room, and don't come out until you have had at least one healthy orgasm!"

"Aw, mom, do I have to? I wanted to do my math homework!"

And the irony is, now that studies have been performed, we find that loss of genital tissue results in more masturbation. Yes, the fact is, circumcised men masturbate far more than intact men - 40% more often. Are they trying to make up for in quantity what they are lacking in quality of experience?

What about loving family relationships in adulthood? How might loss of sensual tissue affect that? One man cut after adulthood said the difference between cut and intact sex is like the difference between black and white, or color TV. Something vital is missing. Could the loss of the foreskin affect the bonding process? Could loss of the foreskin be the cause of so much sexual dissatisfaction and infidelity? When something is missing, do people reach out to new partners, hoping that someone new will be the one who really "does it" for them?

Reducing the physical equipment reduces the sensual experience and sexual satisfaction, yet nature's demand for reproduction burns as hot in the cut and the intact. With the loss of natural parts and skin, achieving the deepest levels of sensual contentment is thwarted... so a vicious cycle is established. Less skin means sexual frustration - the big itch is inadequately scratched. This surely accounts for the difference in desire among circumcised men and intact women.

People who don't get the nutrients their bodies require to work well, crave food. People who don't get the sensual satisfaction their bodies require, crave sex. It's just the way it works. We naturally will try to make up for quality with quantity. Deficiency leads to obsession. Genital cutting creates sensual deficiency and sexual obsession.

The masturbation-as-cause-of-all-disease theory was bogus and the circumcision "cure" backfired. We now have a nation filled with people who are sexually frustrated and sexually obsessed. And yet circumcision persists.

We are meant to enjoy full-body orgasms, but when cut, we do not have them. The partners of circumcised people are also deprived of their full ration of pleasure and satisfaction.

Tens of thousands of delicate nerve endings are cut off with every foreskin. And some men spend months or even years stretching the skin and restoring the foreskin. Some attain excellent results that doctors cannot distinguish from natural foreskins. The restored function can be anywhere from 80 to 90% that of a natural, intact man. When a man restores his foreskin, he finds his rhythm of desire begins to more closely resemble his mate's.

Some have called circumcision, "the cure desperately in search of a disease".

Why the persistent sales pitch? Why do the same circumcision enthusiasts move from one claim to another? Why? Who is invested in what?

There is a predictable cycle: A claim is made for the health advantages of circumcision. The claim turns out to be untrue. Like a smoke and mirrors magic show, another claim arises to take its place. And that has been the pattern around the circumcision phenomenon for many years now.

Psychologist and author Alice Miller wrote, "What eventually happens to the person who was mutilated as a child? As a rule, children who were once injured will later injure their own children, maintaining that their behavior does no harm because their own loving parents did the same."

Circumcision makes circumcisers. Circumcision makes people who are obsessed with sexuality, babies' genitals, cutting of flesh, and the shedding of blood. Trauma sets us up for acting out the trauma, repetition compulsion.

Could it be that the act of circumcising is an addiction of sorts? For some, it must carry quite a charge. There are people who have blood fetishes, people who have tissue fetishes, people who get off on torturing others, people who like to fondle children's genitals. Put them all together and circumcision surely is an ideal job for some.

And it's not easy to give up addictions. There are no circumciser detox centers, no "Circumcisionists Anonymous" meetings. It's unlikely circumcision clamps and knives will be easy to pry out of the hands of those who want to continue. It is an extremely emotional subject. I was shocked to read that some doctors who were surveyed said that even if it was made illegal, they would continue to circumcise. Now that's hard core.

So I went public. I had booth at an outdoor celebration. "Circumcision is my religion," screamed one kindly grandmother at me. Thumbs down for my Save the Males sign from one very nicely dressed and coiffed elderly lady. "You don't know how hard I had to work to get my grandson circumcised!" spat a third.

Adults defending circumcision rather than protecting children - this truly perplexed me.

In the interest of human rights, I think it is time for circumcision to be examined with a microscope that can see beneath the surface of emotional arguments. When we are so deeply mired in anything we can't see clearly. We need a mirror.

Westerners look askance at the ritual mutilations of the body performed in exotic tribes, but they justify their own ritual mutilations as medically appropriate. Europeans sneer at the Maasai custom of lengthening the ear lobes, but they have their own noses bobbed and their faces lifted.

"Americans are horrified at the Arunta practice of subincision (slitting the penis on the ventral side) or the Sudanese tradition of infibulation (excising much of the female genitals and sewing up the vagina), but they stand with few other modern nations in clinging to a ritual that is no less "barbaric" and no more "hygienic", routine circumcision." - Karen Ericksen Paige

Look at babies' faces before and after circumcision. Before, they look peaceful, content, happy. After, their faces look dismayed, betrayed. Listen to their cries.

When I was studying the subject, research had still not been performed on the long-term effects of circumcision on the infant, the bonding process with mom, the psychology of the circumcised baby, the boy and man he becomes, his relationships, the quality of life.

In England, circumcision ended abruptly after a few facts were provided to the medical boards. Europeans seem to do quite well with their natural, sexy, relaxed bodies.

But it's as if the U.S. is under a spell, in a trance. It can't see itself objectively. Americans are prudish and yet are inundated with sex wherever they look in the media. Even Disney films titillate.

Circumcised doctors imagine the natural penis to be a birth defect. "I can do something about that for you!" doctors say, as if natural anatomy is a condition that needs fixing.

Is circumcision really good for babies? No. Does anybody know for sure that circumcision has ever saved anyone's life? No. Does anybody know for sure that being intact has led to anyone's death? No. Has circumcision killed? Yes. Has it deprived? Yes, deprivation is a sure thing, 100% of the time.

Some men say every circumcision is a botched circumcision. Every circumcision maims.

So, as I read and read, it seemed to me that circumcision was a cosmetic, elective procedure, never beneficial and inevitably harmful... unless the owner had gangrene of the foreskin.

How good of an idea can it be to traumatize infants for the sake of cosmetic genital surgery? How good of an idea can it be to deprive anyone of natural body parts and natural sensation?

We owe it to our children to examine the circumcision subject carefully. It's important we put on our thinking caps and be objective, not just argue to be "clever" or "right", or to "win".

Each time objective reality checks prove that circumcision claims are false, the circumcision promotion machine moves on, like a huge monster that eats foreskins for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

What could be the motivation? Who does circumcision profit? Well, there are doctor and hospital fees. I heard once a pediatric urologist complain that people who speak up and tell their stories are "scaring patients away" from circumcision.

A retired doctor-preacher man once told me he didn't like doing circumcisions, but, "If I didn't do them, someone else would get the money." He looked rather shocked after he said those words.

Medicine is a business and circumcision has been big business in the USA for a century or more.

There are circumcision tools and instruments and equipment to sell. What about the commercial uses of the amputated skin? At one time there was at least one business that made and sold goods made from foreskins. One can only imagine how they obtained the foreskins... many colors, many sizes... we can only speculate. From a very odd catalog:

Introducing MANLY ARTS of Ohio, purveyors of circumcision memorabilia. MANLY ARTS specializes in providing a channel for those historians, researchers and collectors who are involved in the development of the "manhood movement" as it has been expressed in literature, research, graphics, objects and cultural practice. Foreskin Quarterly #7 (Winter 1987), pages 20-21.

Item 61. Wallet, actually made from human foreskins. Supple and imminently serviceable. Comprised of fourteen skins ranging from 3" by 5 1/4" to infant 1 1/2" by 2", the wallet contains eight compartments and is sewn together with leather thread. Of such a commanding appearance that viewers will have to ask what the material is. After that, it's up to you. Beautiful brownish patina on the outside; the inside composed of checkerboard alternating Caucasian and Black skins. ,000.

Item 62. Woven finger ring made from actual human foreskin. Braided, and done so by twisting: the skin was apparently not cut longitudinally during its removal. Thus there is no joint between the two ends, because there are no ends. A beautiful piece of engineering, much like a Chinese puzzle. Beautiful mahogany patina with honey-colored highlights. Would fit the middle finger of the average man. 0.

Item 63. Small (9") pair of lamp shades made from human foreskins. Mounted on solid brass cast and polished bases. Excellent form and design. The foreskins are Caucasian, Black, Olive, Oriental and Indian and are used in a regular pattern. The mellow light shed by the foreskins produces an enviable atmosphere of calm and romance. ,500 the pair.

Item 64. Beautiful vest made entirely of human foreskins, lined in emerald green moire. The foreskins are used as squares alternating with small diamonds of much darker skin. The seven buttons are solid gold and each is stamped "Tiffany and Co." ,200.

Item 65. Gentleman's pinkie ring made from human foreskin. In constructing this item, the inner and outer layer of prepuce were left in their original relative positions, so the ring is double thickness. This may have been the product of a re-circumcision, as the forward edge retains a distinct pattern of suture marks which had healed. Being a double thickness, small circular holes have been placed in the outer skin and cat's eye stones inserted which contrast handsomely to the honey-brown color of the ring. The width being only 1/2" contributes to the theory that the ring was produced by a second circumcision. 5.

Item 66. This is an outrageous item. A large and long human foreskin has been expertly tanned to provide all the suppleness and softness of the intact version. It is connected to a sulcus ring of silver with cabochons of lapis lazuli so that the wearers looks as if he were an uncircumcised male wearing only a sulcus ring (granted that the ring is worn above and not beneath the prepuce). The skin is connected to the ring with a dozen silver rivets; not recommended for use in masturbation or intercourse, rather obviously. But a hekkuva decoration for those special parties. 5.

Babies' genitals are used in expensive beauty creams. Stem cell research is performed with foreskin tissue. Flattening out football-field-sized sheets of very expensive artificial skin containing - yes! - infant foreskin.

"Just one foreskin per football field! We promise! And it was donated from the owner of the company's son! - Honest!"

European and Japanese men do not suffer from foreskin problems. Europe and Japan score high up on World Health Organization charts - the USA is 37th. No national medical association in the world - even in the United States - endorses circumcision. Even our own American Medical Association (AMA) and American Academy of Pediatricians (AAP) do not accept the health and hygiene claims. And yet circumcision myths keep on going and going and going... like the Energizer bunny.

Doctors? Poor doctors. In the past they created such a successful demand for circumcision that now they are trapped. Even though they claim they don't want to perform circumcisions, they claim they must! Bloodthirsty parents insist! After all, medicine is a business and the customer is always right.

And so, cosmetic surgery on healthy infant penises continues.

I wonder what doctors would say if a parent insisted they cut off a baby's nose? Or an ear? Or an eyelid? Would they do it? If the parent insisted? Why? Why not?

A cruel beast circumcision is - for all involved, but especially for the brand new visitor to the planet, the guest of honor, the baby.

No child has ever voluntarily chosen to go under the knife. Every child resists. Babies have to be held down, strapped down, restrained. Babies fight circumcision. Children do not want to be circumcised. And yet, when they have children, the circumcised will pass it down...

Pshew! Time for me to take a breath.

That was an interesting bit of reading and research. Such an emotional issue. Even for me, though it appears - so far, anyway - that I'm just an innocent bystander!

And now I have even more questions.

Did God really tell us to circumcise our babies? Or is it possible we are living under the tyranny of an ancient superstition?

Have we all been duped? Everyone? Everyone medical? Everyone religious? By tricksters from the past?

Do we really need blood rituals and tribal markings? Now? In the 21st Century?

Is circumcision at the root of man's inhumanity to man? Early childhood trauma? Power-over? Powerlessness?

We have a big trash can of historical mistakes: stonings, crucifixions, holocausts, routine tonsillectomies, appendectomies, mammograms, and bleeding with leeches.

It's certain that someday circumcision will take its place among those others. I'm already embarrassed for the doctors and nurses and rabbis who have done it to babies. Surely it goes against their best intentions, their highest value, which is to do no harm to any living thing, especially I am sure they do not wish to harm a baby.

Perhaps all it will take is one tiny voice that says "The emperor has no clothes," like the courageous doctor who said to a classroom of nurses, "There is absolutely no medical reason for doing this."

I am an Occupational Therapist and my specialist area is working within mental-health settings or in the community with people experiencing mental-health or emotional difficulties. I decided to write this article to explain what occupational therapist does and is trained to do within the field of mental-health.

Occupational therapists believe that people have the ability to influence their own health and well-being through their occupations. Within occupational therapy the term "occupation" is used in its widest sense to refer to the wide variety of roles and activities that a person engages in during everyday life. Occupational therapists recognize that occupations give structure and meaning to a person's life. Occupational therapists believe that if a person is not able to engage in an adaptive way with occupations that are important and meaningful to them, this can have a detrimental effect on their well-being.

It is this approach to physical, psychological and social dysfunction that makes the occupational therapy profession unique. Occupational therapists are concerned with treating the effect of illness or injury as it relates to the persons ability to function. For example, an occupational therapist working within the specialist area of hand rehabilitation, would be very knowledgeable in biological sciences and physical medicine and be able to communicate and work allied to surgeons and physiotherapist colleagues working in this area. The difference would be that whilst the physiotherapist may focus on the restoration of, movement, and strength of the hand muscles, the occupational therapist would focus on the persons ability to use the hand during activity and occupations. So, an occupational therapist may spend time retraining the person to be able to grip a telephone or sign their name, if these were activities the person highlighted as important for them to work on.

Occupational therapists have developed their own theories about occupation and also draw from the academic discipline occupational science. In addition, occupational therapists also need to understand information from a variety of other disciplines because they work with people experiencing illness, disease and social problems. Therefore, during the three to four years degree level training, an occupational therapist will be taught from disciplines such as sociology, psychology, psychiatry, physical medicine, developmental theory and biological sciences such as anatomy and physiology. Occupational therapy's knowledge base includes these disciplines.

Occupational Therapists work in such a variety of settings and it would be impossible to have an in-depth understanding of information from all of the disciplines mentioned. Therefore, occupational therapists will usually specialize in an area after a few years of their career and develop a deeper understanding of theories and practices that are specific to their chosen area.

For example, an occupational therapist working within the field of mental-health will become knowledgeable about information from psychological and psychiatric disciplines and use such information and techniques in their everyday practice. They will also work alongside professionals from such disciplines, the OT's role to bring their unique understanding of occupational theories and models to the professional skills mix.

Occupational therapy has organized the vast amount of information from other disciplines into frames or reference. These frames of reference contain complementary theories that can be applied within a specific area of practice (Creek, 1997). Occupational Therapists specializing in mental health draw from frames of reference such as cognitive, cognitive behaviour, human developmental, occupational behaviour, psychodynamic and rehabilitative. Again, which frame of reference the occupational therapist used will depend on the unique needs of the client and also what is favoured by the setting in which they work or which approach is most supported by clinical evidence of effectiveness.

Occupational therapists working within the field of mental-health today, will often become very familiar and competent at working from and using techniques from the cognitive behavioural therapy frame of reference because this approach is currently very popular and well-researched. I now practice privately, working with individuals experiencing psychological, emotional and behavioural problems and my main frame of reference is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Edinburgh.

In sum, occupational therapists are highly qualified and professional trained healthcare practitioners who draw from the same knowledge base as other well -known professions, whist at the same time having a unique focus that is occupational in nature. Occupational therapists focus on the person and their life as a whole as opposed to just focusing on symptoms and illness labels. Occupational Therapy is available from the NHS and there are now more and more occupational therapists practicing privately. The college of occupational therapists would be able to provide you with a list of private practitioners with specialist skills in different areas. I am able to offer occupational therapy, Edinburgh and cognitive behavioural therapy, Edinburgh.

References

Creek, J. (1997). Occupational Therapy and Mental Health. Churchill Livingstone. London.

The First Few Steps Towards Pregnancy

When you decide to bear a baby, the first thing to do is to go for an Rh compatibility test. This test proves that both of you are ready to become parents and there are no defects in your reproductive organs. As a precaution, your doctor advises you to give up your habit of smoking and drinking and abstaining from substance abuse. All these have ill effects on the baby. If you are an addict then you must first join a de-addiction center and cleanse your body from the ill effects of these unwanted agents. See what your partner can do to help you regain a healthy body. Do not hesitate to consult your family consultant if you have any health problem, which is persisting even after treatment and seems incurable. Try to keep your mind cool by reading books and listening to music. Knowledge is power. Sometimes we are unable to perform because we were not adopting the right tactics. Therefore, try to understand the human anatomy and the cycle of reproduction.

For The Father-To-Be

It is usually believed, that the role of the male partner finishes once the woman becomes pregnant. Nevertheless, there is a lot more what your partner can do. The job of the male is to provide healthy and nutritious food to the mother. Create an environment where she feels relaxed and comfortable. Never allow anybody to say anything, which may hurt the sentiments of the mother. He should participate in planning for the arrival of the baby. Purchase all the items, which you will need on delivery like the crib, pram, toiletry items, soft nappies, creams, powders and gels, fresh linen and the like. Arrange the things in the house so that things of need are easily reachable. Try and accompany the mother-to-be when she goes for her regular checkup, make sure she sleeps and eats on time, and keep all harmful items or substances under lock and key and out of reach of others in the family. Spend time with her, as this will add to your relationship and strengthen your existing bond.

During pregnancy period, the woman undergoes many changes, both physical and psychological. There are many hormonal changes as well. All these changes have a nasty effect on the emotions of the mother. As she reaches the third trimester, she can no longer act and do things that she normally could. At times, this can make a woman irritable, and she becomes angry easily on small matters. What you as a partner can do is to keep your cool even if she shouts at you for petty reasons. Remember she is the same woman you love so much. Never raise your voice as it may have a bad effect on her nerves, which may affect the fetus growing within her as well. Try to keep a fixed routine of walking and exercising and always accompany her in public areas. This attitude gives the mother a sense of security.

Working in groups is key. Me and my roommates study together, and this is the best thing. If you have someone to verbally study with and bounce ideas off of then you will learn way faster. Also, if there is a study guide if you spread out the work amongst more people then you will be able to start the studying process much faster than having to fill out the study guide alone. The faster you know what is on the test, the faster you will be able to start studying.

Step Two:

Organize your notes. This is very crucial in studying for a test, especially if its for a class as difficult as anatomy. Once you know what you are going to need to study for, you must organize them in chapter order. Making key notes and re-writing the notes is the best thing to do. If you re-write the notes you will remember things faster than if you just stared at a piece of paper trying to read the answer.

Step Three:

Understand the pictures. If you are learning about the human body it is almost pointless if you don't know where the certain functions are taking place. My advice is to understand all the diagrams and pictures before you start to learn about what is going on. Therefore you will visualize what is going on in the actual spot that it is happening in. Sometimes having a picture of what your studying is all it takes to get your mind to connect with what you are trying to study.

As a kid, who hasn't once received a tap on the back by his mom followed by: "stand up straight!" Why does a person walking with his head up look better than another with a hunched back? If by intuition, people value a good posture, they don't necessarily understand the impact it has on how we feel.

Madame M. is a 46 years old mother of two. I initially met her because she was suffering from a tight neck that was causing her headaches and dizziness. On her first appointment, I immediately noticed her 'closed' posture. Her back was forming a C, and her head and shoulders were ahead of her body. Madame M. talked with a soft voice and she wouldn't easily make eye contact. I learned that she was the 6th and last child of a family from Northern France. She wasn't desired by her parents and she had, in her own words, a "painful childhood." The feeling of inadequacy that she developed as a child became a feeling of low self-esteem in her adult life. She closed up to the people around her, and her body posture perfectly reflected that state.

A Protective Posture is a natural response to stress

If there are as many postures as there are people, we can nonetheless observe two tendencies: A protective posture versus an open posture. People take a protective posture whenever they are exposed to a physical or emotional stressor such as an accident, an aggression, a frustration, or a rejection. The body literally closes up in order to protect the vital organs. The back muscles tighten up, the shoulders round in, and the head slides forward. Just imagine someone screaming at you "watch out for the ball!" You will immediately adopt this posture.

When the primitive brain is in control
On a deeper level, whenever we take this type of posture, we stimulate the lower part of the brain, which is responsible for primitive tasks such as feeling thirst, fear, or anger (1). That part of the brain, when activated over time, installs a feeling of vulnerability: The person functions on a day to day and basis. She doesn't feel safe enough to make long-term goals and she is usually very uncomfortable with change. It is important to note, than even if the outside sources of stress have disappeared, if the person holds that Protective Posture, he will reinforce the primitive brain and the state associated with it. A study (2) done in England reveals that someone's posture is an accurate indicator of his general state. The researchers suggested that primary care physicians should be attentive to people's posture to screen for states of unease or distress that could otherwise go undetected.

In the case of Madame M., she was in an obvious state of distress for several years. So we started care, and we worked on releasing the tightness in her neck and on improving the health of her spine. Slowly, over a period of several months, she learned, through exercises and spinal care, to open her posture. Her symptoms receded, and she gained a vitality she had not experienced in years. As her posture was improving she would also notice that she was experiencing more ease in every day's affairs. The real breakthrough happened when she decided to create her own business. She noted feeling stronger, more confident, and ready to make changes in her life. And that's what she did. It's now been 5 years since Madame M. has been running her growing business.

Ref.

(1) The Human Brain: An Introduction to Functional Anatomy. John Nolte, Mosby, 1993.

(2) A. Howe, "Detecting psychological distress: can general practitioners improve their own performance?" British Journal of General Practice. 1996.

The duties of a veterinary technologist are very similar to those of a nurse or physician's assistant for a medical doctor. If you work as a veterinary technologist in a veterinarian's office or animal clinic, you will spend part of your time doing crucial paperwork and part of your time working directly with pets of all shapes and sizes. A typical day might include filling out charts and documents, scheduling appointments and updating patient records. Or, you may help in collecting specimens, blood draws and skin scrapings for lab tests. You may even assist in preparing animals, lab equipment and instruments for surgery and other procedures. Other tasks include grooming animals and assisting with routine procedures such as vaccinations, taking x-rays and performing lab tests.

Because there are so many different responsibilities, a veterinary technologist needs to be able to juggle many different tasks and delegate responsibilities effectively. Decision making skills are very important, as is attention to detail. Medical charts must be accurate and readable to avoid the possibility of errors in treatment. A love of animals is, of course, essential to anyone pursuing a degree in veterinary technology. You will spend most of your time around animals and should have a soothing personality for pets in distress, as well as their owners.

There are many career options available for anyone with a veterinary technology Associate's Degree. While the majority of graduates will work in a veterinarian's office or animal clinic, there are also many opportunities in other areas. If you are interested in medical research or the sciences, there are many research facilities that rely on veterinary technologists to take care of animals in their biomedical research facilities. In this capacity, you would oversee all work with animals to make sure humane care is provided and track all research protocols for the supervising scientists.

You can combine a love for the outdoors or wildlife with your career by working at a zoo or wildlife park. Many veterinary technologists work behind the scenes at zoos doing everything from preparing special diets for animals to taking care of newborn animals. Larger cities with professionally staffed Humane Societies or SPCA's often recruit vet techs with Associate's Degrees to assist in caring for the many abused or abandoned animals that come to them. This is a particularly rewarding but taxing job that involves a great deal of healthcare work.

Many people don't realize that pet food and pet supply companies also need veterinary technologists for their Research and Development divisions. These companies are always looking for ways to improve the quality and appeal of products like dog treats, cat food and pet toys. They need staff members who can work with their products and their "testing panel" of animals to determine what is most attractive and also healthiest for their target customers.

A career as a veterinary technologist requires a two year Associate's Degree, which you should seek from a technical school that is approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). The program will consist of basic courses in math and business as well as more intensive courses in areas such as zoology, anesthesiology, pharmacology, animal nursing, surgical principles, comparative anatomy, public health and more. You will also be required to serve an externship during which you'll put what you've learned into practice under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian.

If veterinary technology sounds like an exciting career for you, check into various health and business schools in your area. Many of these will offer a vet tech program. Also contact animal hospitals, clinics and veterinarians who can suggest good vet tech programs in your area.