The bodies of multicellular organisms, including humans, are covered with commensal microbes, also called the microbiota. The majority of these are bacteria located in the gastrointestinal tract. The gut microbiota maintain many physiological functions including the development and maturation of the immune system. The microbiota... click to read more

No matter if it is a nosebleed, a scratch, or a cut – we regularly rely on our body’s innate ability to stop the loss of blood from injured blood vessels. This task is mainly done by little cells in our blood stream called "platelets”.... click to read more

The pancreas has two main functions: 1) it regulates blood glucose levels by producing insulin and glucagon and 2) it produces digestive enzymes to allow us to utilize the food we eat. Every day, up to two liters of digestive juice are passed into the... click to read more

Blood and bone marrow contain a variety of cell types that execute diverse functions, from transporting oxygen (red cells) to immune defense against pathogens (white cells). All cell types in a person have the same DNA, but what differentiates them are the proteins each expresses.... click to read more

 All physiological functions in humans are orchestrated by cell surface receptors and their intracellular signaling effects. Cell signaling typically consists of 5 components: stimulus, receptor, transducer, messenger, and effector. These components are modularly linked to each other to ensure that extracellular cues are relayed flawlessly... click to read more