In the middle of the 1970s a new disease emerged. It was called AIDS, or acquiredimmune deficiency syndrome. Scientists and doctors didn’t know anything about it at first but until today AIDS has killed 25 million people and about 50 million may beinfected. AIDS occurs all over the world, but southern Africa, Asia and the United States have had more AIDS victims than […]
The word “vitamin” goes back to the Polish scientist Casimir Funk in 1912. He was studying a substance in the layer that covers rice. This substance was believed to cure a disease called beriberi. Funk believed the substance belonged to a group of chemicals known as amines. He added the Latin word “vita,” meaning life. So he called the substance a “vitamine” — an amine necessary for life. Scientists have discovered fourteen kinds […]
Chocolate is a food that is popular all over the world. It is made from the seeds of the cacao tree. It can be eaten and also used as a flavour in ice cream, candy and other foods. Many people like the taste of chocolate and those who work hard eat it to give them energy. History of chocolate Chocolate originally came from Mexico and […]
Blood is an important fluid that keeps us alive. We cannot live without it. The heart pumps blood to all parts of the body and brings them oxygen and food. At the same time blood carries all the substances we don’t need away from us. Blood fights infections, keeps our body temperature the same and carries chemicals that control body functions. Finally, blood […]
Studies have shown that about 30% of all children in America aged 6 to 19 are either overweight or obese. That is almost one out of three young Americans. The situation in the countries of the European Union is similar. The body mass index (BMI) is a formula to measure obesity. It uses a combination of height and weight. A BMI score of 25 or higher shows that you […]
First aid is the help that you give someone quickly after they have hurt themselves or have had an accident . It can stop a person from becoming more ill. In some cases, it can even save a person’s life. Only someone who knows first aid well should try to treat an injured or sick person. Usually, you give […]
All living things need food to survive. It gives us energy for everything that we do. It also gives the body what it needs to repair muscles, organs and skin. Food helps us fight off dangerous diseases. It is important to eat a wide range of food in order to stay healthy. Nutrition is the science that deals with food and how the body uses it. How the body […]
he body is an amazing object; the more you ask of it, the more it can do. If you are inactive most of the time, your body will quickly become tired when it should be active. But if you are active many times each day or week, your body will get used to the hard work and it will become easier […]
50 years ago a drug called Thalidomide caused the birth of thousands of disabled and malformed babies. They had shorter and twisted hands and no thumbs. Nobody knows how many babies were really affected by the drug but experts say that 10,000 babies were malformed in Germany alone. Thalidomide was developed in Germany by the pharmaceutical company Grünenthal. In Germany it was sold by the name of Contergan between 1957 and […]
Every year in spring millions of people around the world suffer from asthma. It is a time when flowers blossom and grass is cut. Asthma is an illness that narrows the breathing passages. As a result, not enough air can enter and leave your lungs. According to the World Health Organisation over 230 million people around the world are suffering from asthma. Among children […]