Stem Cell Therapy

Stem cell facts:

By Priya Pandey

The controversial thing related to stem cell facts is that how they are used in healing the human body suffering from different diseases. There is no doubt that there are debates still going out on whether extraction of the cells from embryo is ethical or not but at the same time it is also a known fact that advantages of anything always overcome its disadvantages. Same is the thing in this case where people are being benefitted by using the stem cell therapy. Many chronic diseases have now become curable with the help of this technique.

In the underlined article we will be discussing about the stem cell facts. Basically stem cells are those cells which have the ability to differentiate in the body of the organisms. In other words the term organisms can be replaced by multi cellular organisms as well. These multi cellular organisms include animals, plants and even human beings. These cells not only divide in a large number without any restriction but they are also able to transform into many different types of cells. These cells produce tissues and organs of the multi cellular bodies. Division of cells has the basic purpose of healing the body.

Stem cells are viewed on a computer screen

Stem cell facts that how these cells work is like a fantasy. It sometimes happens that division of cells is not enough for healing the body. It is due to the fact that there are some of the cells which cannot be replaced. Moreover there are some cells which were not supposed to be replaced a few years back. For example there are certain cells which are lost on continuous basis in people undergoing chemotherapy in case of cancer. Now stem cell research has made it possible for the people to replace the damaged cells due to this therapy.

There are some other stem cell facts which people must know like the most experienced physician in the world for this therapy is Dr. Gonzalez of Mexico. He is bilingual that he can speak fluent English as well as Spanish. His success rate is enormous and people from all around the world come to him for the treatment of their chronic diseases. These chronic diseases include cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases, dental surgery, organ replacement like liver and renal, lung surgery, permanent treatment for diabetes, spinal cord injuries, autism, retinitis, Parkinson’s, cerebral palsy, baldness, depression, anti aging, cancer, arthritis etc.

Visiting Mexico for medical tour is not very expensive. It takes only $19,000 to be there. A Person also has the facilitation to receive treatment in the hotel in which he will be staying. He will not be required to visit any Mexican hospital. In addition, a person can have the entertainment in the most beautiful part of the world. Mexican food is very delicious. In short medical tour of a person can also entertain him as well as the treatment of his chronic diseases.

In short stem cell facts are mentioned here and it totally depends on the reader that how he takes them and treats them.



Treatments:

Here are just a few of Stem Cell Therapy treatments that are available:

Lung Diseases:

When you breathe, your lungs take in oxygen from the air and deliver it to the bloodstream. The cells in your body need oxygen to work and grow. During a normal day, you breathe nearly 25,000 times. People with lung disease have difficulty breathing. Millions of people in the U.S. have lung disease. If all types of lung disease are lumped together, it is the number three killer in the United States.

The term lung disease refers to many disorders affecting the lungs, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, infections like influenza, pneumonia and tuberculosis, lung cancer, and many other breathing problems.

Multiple Sclerosis:

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease in which the nerves of the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) degenerate. Myelin, which provides a covering or insulation for nerves, improves the conduction of impulses along the nerves and also is important for maintaining the health of the nerves. In multiple sclerosis, inflammation causes the myelin to disappear. Consequently, the electrical impulses that travel along the nerves decelerate, that is, become slower. In addition, the nerves themselves are damaged. As more and more nerves are affected, a person experiences a progressive interference with functions that are controlled by the nervous system such as vision, speech, walking, writing, and memory.

Retinitis:

Definition of Retinitis Pigmentosa:

Retinitis pigmentosa is the name given to a group of diseases that affect the retina.
The retina, located in the back of the eye, acts like the film in a camera. It is a delicate layer of cells which picks up the picture and transmits it to the brain – where the “seeing” actually occurs.

In retinitis pigmentosa, the retina begins to degenerate, which first causes peripheral (side) vision and night vision to diminish, and then, usually only decades later, the central vision as well.

Toxoplasmic retinitis, which may be either acquired or congenital, is caused by a microorganism. If the condition is congenital, the microorganism was passed to the fetus through the placenta. A similar type of retinitis is caused by a blood-borne infection that settles in the eye.

Exudative retinitis stems from unknown causes but may result in detachment of the retina from the internal surface of the eyeball.

Hepatitus:

The word hepatitis simply means an inflammation of the liver without pinpointing a specific cause. Someone with hepatitis may:

have one of several disorders, including viral or bacterial infection of the liver

have a liver injury caused by a toxin (poison)

have liver damage caused by interruption of the organ’s normal blood supply

be experiencing an attack by his or her own immune system through an autoimmune disorder

have experienced trauma to the abdomen in the area of the liver

Hepatitis is most commonly caused by one of three viruses:

the hepatitis A virus
the hepatitis B virus
the hepatitis C virus

In some rare cases, the Epstein Barr Virus (which causes mononucleosis) can also result in hepatitis because it can cause inflammation of the liver. Other viruses and bacteria that also can cause hepatitis include hepatitis D and E, chickenpox, and cytomegalovirus (CMV).

Diabetes:

The diseases which are listed under Diabetes Mellitus are many with the most common being Type-1 diabetes and Type-2 diabetes. These are diseases of the metabolic system and involve the body’s ability in metabolizing sugar using the hormone insulin. Insulin helps the cells use the simple sugar glucose which is needed for repair, growth and energy.

In Type-1 diabetes, the body produces little or no insulin so those with this type of diabetes need to be on insulin therapy for their entire lives. Before 1924 Type-1 diabetes usually ended with dead after a couple of years but with the advent of insulin those who have this disease are now able to manage this chronic condition. Type-1 diabetes is also known as juvenile diabetes because those who have this type of diabetes are usually diagnosed with it between the ages of 9 and 15 years of age.

Lupus:

If you have lupus, your immune system attacks healthy cells and tissues by mistake. This can damage your joints, skin, blood vessels and organs. There are many kinds of lupus. The most common type, systemic lupus erythematosus, affects many parts of the body. Discoid lupus causes a rash that doesn’t go away. Subacute cutaneous lupus causes sores after being out in the sun. Another type can be caused by medication. Neonatal lupus, which is rare, affects newborns.

Anyone can get lupus, but women are most at risk. Lupus is also more common in African American, Hispanic, Asian and Native American women. The cause of lupus is not known.

Lupus has many symptoms. Some common ones are:

Joint pain or swelling
Muscle pain
Fever with no known cause
Red rashes, often on the face (also called the “butterfly rash”)
There is no one test to diagnose lupus, and it may take months or years to make the diagnosis. There is no cure for lupus, but medicines and lifestyle changes can help control it.

Parkinsons:

Parkinson’s disease is a disorder that affects nerve cells, or neurons, in a part of the brain that controls muscle movement. In Parkinson’s, neurons that make a chemical called dopamine die or do not work properly. Dopamine normally sends signals that help coordinate your movements. No one knows what damages these cells. Symptoms of Parkinson’s disease may include:

Trembling of hands, arms, legs, jaw and face
Stiffness of the arms, legs and trunk
Slowness of movement
Poor balance and coordination

As symptoms get worse, people with the disease may have trouble walking, talking or doing simple tasks. They may also have problems such as depression, sleep problems or trouble chewing, swallowing or speaking.

Parkinson’s usually begins around age 60, but it can start earlier. It is more common in men than in women. There is no cure for Parkinson’s disease. A variety of medicines sometimes help symptoms dramatically.

Anti Aging:

Medical Tour Cancun offers Stem Cell Therapy as an effective anti-aging treatment with placenta stem cells. Anti-aging therapy helps to improve overall physical condition of the patients resulting in less fatigue, improved gait and posture, and work capacity. Mental capacities improve, leading to acceleration of decision making and restoration of the short-term memory. Emotional balance is achieved. Anti-aging treatment with placenta stem cells leads to marked cosmetic effects, such as skin color improvement, fewer wrinkles, smoother skin, and sparkling eyes.

Stress Disorder:

Stress is simply a fact of nature — forces from the outside world affecting the individual. The individual responds to stress in ways that affect the individual as well as their environment. Hence, all living creatures are in a constant interchange with their surroundings (the ecosystem), both physically and behaviorally. Because of the overabundance of stress in our modern lives, we usually think of stress as a negative experience, but from a biological point of view, stress can be a neutral, negative, or positive experience. Stem Cell Therapy can be extremely beneficial to the patient who suffers from stress disorder.

Regeneration:

Stem Cell therapy can replace damaged tissue and aging parts of our bodies in what we call regeneration.




Source :
http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/8248116-stem-cell-facts
http://www.medicaltourcancun.com/

Interesting Facts

Interesting facts about Recycling :

Did you know that people are used to recycle since ancient times?

58% of U.S. newspapers are recycled. If all of our newspapers were recycled, we could save about 250 million trees each year!

There is no limit to the amount of times an aluminum can be recycled.

It takes half a barrel of crude oil to produce the rubber in just one tire.

Up to 80% of a vehicle can be recycled.

It takes just 25 two litre drink bottles to make one adult size fleece.

Austria is the “recycling champion” in the European Union. Austria reuses about 60% of all of the waste produced.

Greece, on the other hand, recycles only 10% of the total waste it produces, being the last place of the list.

In the 70s , Woodbury city in the U.S. state of New Jersey was the first city in the country to introduce mandatory recycling.

In 2 weeks, Americans throw enough glass bottles and jars out to fill the New York Trade Center’s twin towers.



Birthday interesting facts :

 

Your birthday is a very special day. Only eighteen million other people share it (unless you were born on February 29, in which case you really are special since only 4.5 million people have your birthday).

The custom of lighting candles originated with people believing that the gods lived in the sky and by lighting candles and torches they were sending a signal or prayer to the gods so they they could be answered. When you blow out the candles and make a wish this is another way of sending a signal and a message.

The volume of blood in your body is approximately 5 litres. The heart pumps about 280 litres of blood around your body every hour – that’s 2,688,000 litres per year!

The Earth is zooming around the sun at around 66,780 miles per hour! Since your last birthday the Earth has completed one journey around the sun travelling about 584,337,600 miles.

The earliest birthday parties in history were held because it was feared that evil spirits were attracted to people on their birthdays.



Interesting facts about Barbie Doll :

Barbie is named after the daughter of the original inventor, Barbara.

The first Barbie dolls were made in Japan. On the bottom of the right foot they are marked Made In Japan.

Barbie doll was introduced in Europe in 1961.

Every second, two Barbie dolls are sold somewhere in the world.

The first Black, and Hispanic Barbie dolls were introduced in 1980. Barbie has appeared in over 40 various nationalities.

The first Barbie doll sold for $3.

Barbie has had over 80 careers. The first was as a teenage fashion model.

Only stamp collecting is more popular in the U.S. than doll collecting.

Barbie has over 40 pets. Among them are cats, dogs, horses, a panda, a lion cub and a zebra.

Barbie is eleven and one half inches tall.



Interesting Facts About Sleep :

Humans sleep on average around three hours less than other primates like chimps, rhesus monkeys, squirrel monkeys and baboons, all of whom sleep for 10 hours.

Elephants sleep standing up during non-REM sleep, but lie down for REM sleep.

Over 20% of the american population suffers from significant sleep disorders.

One in six road accidents happens because of sleepy drivers.

Eight hours of sleeping gives sixteen hours of work.

REM sleep is so called because our eyes can be seen to move under our eyelids.

If you average only 6 hours of sleep at night, your immunity to viral infection can be affected by 50%.Poor sleep can make us more vulnerable to viruses which cause the common cold or influenza.

60% Males and 40% Females over the age of 60 snore.

One-third of young adults are pathologically sleepy during the day.

We move on average 40 times in bed per night.


Laughing facts :

 

If you laugh 100 times it’s the same thing with cycling 15 minutes on your bike. Energetic laughter boosts the heart rate deepens the breathing rate, and bring into play muscles in the face, stomach, and diaphragm.

Apart from enhance our moods, laughter can cut down stress, cooperate fighting infection, and reduce pain.

Laughter generate helpful changes in brain chemistry by delivering endorphins, and it leads more oxygen into the body with the deeper inhalations.

Laughter is instinctive and contagious. Our laughter is under minimal conscious control, and it challenges the hypothesis that we are in full control of our behaviour.

Italian author Pietro Aretino who in 1556 was laughing so hard at a bawdy story being told to him by his sister that he fell backwards in his chair and died of suffocation from “laughing too much.”

Laughter amplify the natural killer cells that attack viruses and some types of cancer and tumour cells.



Exercises that prevent joint pain :

 

Joint pain, extremely unpleasant, can occur with age, due to inactivity or because of various ailments. But there are exercises that can eliminate the joint pain.

To prevent joint pain, the most important thing is to keep you active. The exercises keeps the blood moving and lubricates joints, eliminating pain.

To burn calories without joint pain, the best are cardio exercise such as walks, jogging, swimming or cycling.

Swimming is good for sore joints serious, because it eliminates the impact. Cycling not only eliminate pain, but helps you burn about 500 calories per hour. If you have back pain too, you can choose a bike with low saddle.

In general, avoid activities that involve sudden movements and stretching, such as playing tennis, because joints are required.




Courtesy:  http://www.strange-facts.info

Interesting Facts

1.  Interesting facts about NOSTRADAMUS:

NOSTRADAMUS real name was Michel de Nostredame ( French origin).
Was born on December 14 1503 in the area of Saint-Rémy-de Provence (located in southern France) and died on July 2 1566.

Although his fame is due to the prophecies, Nostradamus was a doctor and pharmacist quite appreciated at the time. He had published poems since the year 1555 under the original name of “Les Propheties” (The Prophecies).

The Legend says that in several nights before the birth of Nostradamus celestial activity was extremely important.

The Thessaloniki archives , the city where the great prophet spent his last days, still keeps the records of stories about the existence of shining objects in the sky above the city Saint-Remy de Provence.

The great prophet was incredibly smart, while still very young he learn more languages and higher mathematics.

At 23 years became a licensed doctor has received her doctorate later almost effortlessly.

Nostradamus predicted the world will end in 3797.

According to the New York Times, in the days following the 9/11 attacks, the top search term on Google was “Nostradamus.”

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2.  Interesting Albert Einstein facts:

On the day Albert was born, his mother – Pauline Einstein thought that Albert’s head was so big and misshapen that he was deformed!

Einstein was born in Ulm, Württemberg, Germany. As a boy he was fascinated by the compass needle, how it always pointed north. He felt that “something deeply hidden had to be behind things.”

Einstein Had Speech Difficulty as a Child .

He studied mathematics and physics in Zurich, Switzerland, then from 1902 to 1909 he worked in the Swiss Patent Office in Bern.

In 1905, at age 26, Einstein contributed four papers to the German scientific publication, “Annals of Physics.” Any one of them would have been enough to secure him an important place in the history of science.

In one article he said light could sometimes be described as particles, or “quanta.” This explained some puzzling experimental results, such as the photoelectric effect, and it became the starting point of quantum physics.

In the second and most famous paper, “On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies,” he outlined his special theory of relativity, which says that the speed of light is the same, regardless of how the observer moves. This means, he said, that the time between two events depends on the speed of the observer measuring it. Time, in other words, is “relative.” In a follow-up paper later that year he showed another aspect of special relativity, that energy and matter are equivalent. This is expressed in his famous formula: E=mc2 (Energy equals mass times the speed of light squared).

Einstein was born in Ulm, Württemberg, Germany. As a boy he was fascinated by the compass needle, how it always pointed north. He felt that “something deeply hidden had to be behind things.”

He studied mathematics and physics in Zurich, Switzerland, then from 1902 to 1909 he worked in the Swiss Patent Office in Bern.

In 1905, at age 26, Einstein contributed four papers to the German scientific publication, “Annals of Physics.” Any one of them would have been enough to secure him an important place in the history of science.

In one article he said light could sometimes be described as particles, or “quanta.” This explained some puzzling experimental results, such as the photoelectric effect, and it became the starting point of quantum physics.

In the second and most famous paper, “On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies,” he outlined his special theory of relativity, which says that the speed of light is the same, regardless of how the observer moves. This means, he said, that the time between two events depends on the speed of the observer measuring it. Time, in other words, is “relative.” In a follow-up paper later that year he showed another aspect of special relativity, that energy and matter are equivalent. This is expressed in his famous formula: E=mc2 (Energy equals mass times the speed of light squared).

In a fourth paper, he explained Brownian motion, the irregular movements of particles in water. He showed that random collisions of water molecules would exactly produce the motion. This is considered one of the first proofs of the existence of atoms.

In 1915 Einstein completed his general theory of relativity, which greatly expanded on special relativity. In fact, it explained the universe in a radically different way. Einstein’s theory of gravitation is based on the “curvature” of space and time, which explains phenomena that Newton’s theory could not. It also predicts totally new phenomena, such as black holes and the expansion of the universe.

However, Einstein was bothered because it failed to explain electromagnetism. He spent the remaining 25 years of his life unsuccessfully trying to develop a Unified Field Theory that would explain all natural forces. He was concerned that if he couldn’t find the answer, nobody would.

Albert loved taking long walks around town. His walks gave him time to think and relax him with the world. Albert also inherit his love for music from his mother – Pauline Einstein. Albert played and loved the violin.

Beginning in 1909 Einstein accepted various teaching positions in Europe. Then, in 1933, Nazi Germany took away his citizenship, property and positions because he was Jewish. He moved to the United States and took a position at Princeton University.

On Aug. 2, 1939, he wrote a letter to President Franklin Roosevelt, urging him to provide government help in creating an atomic bomb, and warning that Germany might already be working on one. The bomb was later used to end World War II.

Einstein was offered the Presidency of Israel in 1952 but he refuse it. An element named einsteinium was unwrap in 1952 and named in respect for him.

Einstein’s brain was take away anterior to his cremation, and hold, to be studied in the future when neuroscience might clue us in to what made him so smart.

In 1988 the American Society of Civil Engineers American Society of Civil Engineers created the Hans Albert Einstein Award to recognize outstanding achievements in erosion control, sedimentation and/or waterway development.

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 3.  Interesting facts about the big bang:

Using theories and observations from many scientists, this theory has been proven time and again. Despite some flaws, the Big Bang provides a simplistic and logical explanation regarding the origin of the Universe.

This theory was born of the observation that other galaxies are moving away from our own at great speed, in all directions, as if they had all been propelled by an ancient explosive force.

The big bang is believed to have started as a tiny volume of space, which suddenly expanded and created all the matter and energy in the universe. It happened more than 10 billion years ago.

Big Bang cosmology, with the addition of inflation, predicted the kind of lumpiness we see in the cosmic background radiation, and an earlier version of big bang cosmology with an added ‘cosmological constant’ predicted we would be living in an accelerated universe.

Reference:  http://www.strange-facts.info/

Interesting Health Facts

Getting Your Family into Fitness and Fluids:

Getting your family into fitness is easier than you may think. You don’t have to join an expensive health club or buy a lot of fancy exercise equipment.Specialists recommends that you accumulate a total of 30 minutes or more of moderate activity on most days of the week. This means that sweaty workouts aren’t essential for a healthy lifestyle. Even three 10-minute walks around the block can help you get fit.

It is definitely time to take advantage of all the fun fitness activities available wherever you live – in your house and yard; at the park and the mall; out on the river and beach; and up at the lakes and mountains. Getting fit can be as simple as a regular 30-minute noontime walk with friends; an after-school walk to the park with the dog; walking around the field while your kids play ball; or just taking the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator.

And, to go hand-in-hand with increased physical activity, you definitely need to think about your family’s fluid intake. Water is sometimes called “the forgotten nutrient” because so many people do not get enough to drink. Staying well hydrated is important for everyone – and the more active you are, the more fluids you need.

Unfortunately thirst is not a particularly good indicator of when you need to drink more. When you feel thirsty, you are probably already a bit low on fluids. The thirst mechanism is even less accurate in children and older people. They can become seriously dehydrated quite quickly, especially when the weather is hot or dry.

The best defense against dehydration is a good offensive. Here are five ways to make sure that your family gets the fluids they need in any climate. With these tips, you can stay hydrated and perform better during all your spring fitness activities.

#1: Be proactive. Plan ahead and keep plenty of beverages on hand:

* Keep your fridge and cupboards stocked with your family’s favorite fluids. In addition to water, stock up on low-fat milk, 100% juices, and sports drinks.

* Always carry fluids when you leave the house. Never leave home without a water bottle, sports bottle or thermos filled with cold, refreshing beverages.

* Get kids into the water habit. Encourage them to drink whenever they pass a water fountain – whether they feel thirsty or not. Offer cold water with after-school snacks.

#2: Be realistic. Make small changes in your usual beverages. Despite the ads, pop is not the best beverage for active people. To gradually switch to more refreshing choices:

* Serve fat-free or reduced-fat milk with all your meals.
* Buy only a limited amount of pop and sweetened juice drinks.
* Make cold water and 100% juice readily available.

#3: Be adventurous. If you’re tired of the same-old beverages, try some refreshingly different ways to quench your thirst – without lots of empty calories or caffeine:

* Explore iced herbal teas like mixed berry or mandarin orange spice.
* Mix club soda with cranberry or another of your favorite juices.
* Add a wedge of fresh lime or lemon to water and juices.

#4: Be flexible. Balance what you drink with your activity level. Since thirst isn’t always a good indicator of fluid status, remember to:

* Drink several glasses of water before any planned activity.
* Drink often during physical activity – at least every 15 to 20 minutes.
* Drink at least 16 ounces of fluids after being active.

#5: Be sensible. Enjoy a variety of beverages – just don’t overdo it. A moderate intake of caffeine is probably OK for most healthy adults. To keep your intake sensible:

* Go caffeine-free when you do drink pop.
* Switch to decaf coffee or tea after a cup or two in the morning.
* Try herbal tea or hot tea with a lemon wedge.

Bottom line: Get up off the couch – and enjoy some springtime fitness with your family. And, be sure to bring along plenty of refreshing beverages!


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Know your family’s health history:

To find clues to your future health, look to your family tree an important source of information about the genetic and environmental factors that combine to influence your personal health. Physicians use family health histories all the time to help in diagnosing and preventing disease. They can offer invaluable information about diseases or conditions a person may be predisposed to.

A family health history is a record of pertinent medical information about your relatives. Family histories should be traced back at least two generations. Grandparents and parents provide the most important information about direct risk. However, information about the health of siblings and aunts and uncles can help provide a more complete family picture.

Health histories should note the age, or age of death, of these relatives, as well as any specific medical conditions, such as heart disease or cancers. Especially important is a history of colon cancer and, for women, breast or ovarian cancer. It is essential to note the age of onset of diseases.

Your family’s health history can be gathered by speaking directly with your immediate relatives or other family members. If parents are deceased, it is possible for children to request their medical records from the hospital within five to 10 years following their death.

Armed with information about pertinent health problems within your family, a physician can help tailor your own health plan.

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Healthy foods that we ignore:

There are hundreds of foods with amazing health benefits that we should eat. Some are exotic fruits, which can’t be found in nearby grocery store , nor in the market. Others in turn, we see every day on the stall but we don’t give them any importance.

Beet – Studies have shown that people who drank 500 ml of beetroot juice were reduced blood pressure in an hour. The results are measurable, even after 24 hours of consumption. The survey shows that beetroot can fight certain cancers.

Pumpkin – a pumpkin provides significant amounts of vitamins A, C and E, beta carotene, calcium and iron. Is a food supplement that helps digestion due to its high fiber content .

Cabbage – A low-calorie vegetable, cabbage can be included in many diet programs. It is also an excellent source of vitamin C and has significant levels of glutamine, an anti-inflammatory.

Blueberries – the risk of inflammation and certain cancers can be reduced by eating blueberries. Blueberries also contain, anthocyanins and other chemicals that inhibit the formation mechanism of cancer cells. Studies have shown that blueberries are excellent and memory.

Sardines – are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins D and B12, calcium and protein.

Turmeric – A key ingredient in Asian cuisine, this sauce is probably the most beneficial to health. It has many medicinal properties, being an important antiseptic. In Japan, it served as a tea. It benefits against Alzheimer’s disease or cancer.

Cinnamon – Rich in antioxidants, is associated with type 2 diabetes treatment. Traditionally, it is used to prevent colds, constipation and treat toothache.

Pomegranate juice – used in Persian cuisine, pomegranate juice is used both as fresh and as a concentrated syrup. Although it has a very high sugar content, which means it is also high in calories, juice provides 50 percent of daily requirement of vitamins A, C and E, folic acid 100 percent and 13 percent potassium .

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Interesting rice facts:

More than 90 percent of the world’s rice is grown and consumed in Asia, where people typically eat rice two or three times a daily.

More than 40000 varieties of cultivated rice (the grass family Oryza sativa) are thought to exist but the exact number remains a mystery.

Of the 40,000 varieties more than 100 grow world-wide, but only around 10% are marketed and sold.

In Burma a person eats 500 pounds of rice a year.

The Chinese word for rice is the same as the word for food.

Rice is so important in some countries, that they have festivals and celebrations to honor this wonderful food.

Rice provides 20% (i.e.  one fifth) of the world's dietary energy supply.

Rice is a good source of insoluble fiber, which is also found in whole wheat, brand and nuts.



Reference:  http://www.strange-facts.info/

Interesting Facts

American Revolutionary War – interesting facts

 

 

 

Nobody knows who fired the “shot heard round the world,” but it launched the American Revolutionary War. The shot was fired at Lexington in 1775. Here 73 British soldiers, marching to capture rebel guns and powder, met colonial farmers and townspeople called “Minutemen.” The Minutemen were trained to be ready at a minute’s notice to fight.

The British tried to march past the Minutemen when someone fired a shot. There was panic; the British returned fire and soon eight Minutemen were dead. In nearby Concord, Minutemen attacked British soldiers, killing 73 and wounding 174.

The Second Continental Congress met on May 10th, in Philadelphia, and voted Virginian George Washington as commander of the Continental Army.

The American Revolutionary War lasted eight years, ending in 1783, with the signing of the Treaty of Paris. Unlike the British, American soldiers were untrained and under-armed. Much like the Vietnamese whom the Americans fought almost 200 years later, the Americans had the advantage since the war was fought on their turf. They knew how to get around and could get support from local families.

Also, the French gave America lots of support with money and gunpowder. France didn’t like England and wanted to get back at England for the French-Indian War.



Interesting Facts About Credit Cards

 

 

Credit cards become popularly successful in the 1920s.

Visa was originally called BankAmericard, a card offered by Bank of America in 1958 in California.

78 percent of American households — about 91.1 million — had one or more credit cards at the end of 2008. A year earlier, there were 90.4 million households with cards.

41 percent of college students have a credit card.

Eighty percent of American households have at least one credit card. (Source: cardweb.com)

The average level of debt for a middle-class American family is $9,827 (out-of-pocket medical expenses account for $2,194 of that, on average).


Interesting Facts About The Ivory Coast


Côte d’Ivoire is a republic with a strong executive power personified in the President. Its de jure capital is Yamoussoukro and the official language is French. The country is divided into 19 regions and 81 departments.

Most people in the Ivory Coast live near the beaches and coastlines of the country, while some live in the forested areas.

17 million people live in the Ivory Coast, with birth average of 4 per women and literacy rate of over 50% .

The Ivory Coast is among the world’s largest producers of cocoa, coffee beans and palm oil.

The Ivory Coast is known to be a country that loves Soccer, this can be seen by it’s great soccer team that has reached the world cup twice in recent years.



Largest island and the longest river on Earth

 

 

 

 

 Largest island – Greenland, 839,999 square miles (2,175,600 square kilometers), seems to have been misnamed by Vikings hoping to attract settlers to a colony on the southern coast, which, to be fair, is green for a short time in summer.

Longest river – Africa’s Nile River, at 4,241 miles (6,825 kilometers) long, barely beats out the Amazon in South America (approximately 4,000 miles; 6,437 kilometers) as the world’s longest river. The Nile runs north—through Uganda, Sudan, and Egypt—into the Mediterranean Sea.

Largest river system – The Amazon wins hands down with a drainage basin of approximately 2.5 million square miles (6.7 million square kilometers), an area equal to three-fourths the contiguous United States. It also carries the greatest flow of water—around six million cubic feet per second, or one-fifth of all the river water in the world.

Red Blood Cells Functions – interesting facts

 

 

 

Red blood cells function by carrying oxygen to every part of the body, and then carrying carbon dioxide back to the lungs. Red blood cells are very well designed to perform this important job. First, they are packed full of hemoglobin, which is an iron-bearing protein that transports oxygen to other cells. Interestingly, red blood cells have no nuclei, a feature which makes even more room for hemoglobin. Red blood cells are the only cells in the body that do not have a nucleus.

Second, they are shaped like disks. This shape greatly increases their surface area compared with a sphere of the same volume. The large surface area is important because it improves the efficiency of oxygen transfer between hemoglobin and the tissues where the oxygen is needed. Red blood cells are formed in the bone marrow, where special cells called stem cells divide repeatedly, then lose most of their internal parts before they are released into the blood. Red blood cells have an average life span of about 120 days. After this, they tend to become misshapen and they are removed from the circulation system by the spleen. A typical human body makes about 2.5 million red blood cells every second, or about 200 billion every day!

Red cells normally comprise about 40% of the blood volume. When doctors measure this number, it is called the hematocrit. Sometimes the number of red blood cells drops too low. This condition is called anemia. Generally, anemia results either because too few red blood cells are being made, or because they are being destroyed prematurely. The most common cause for underproduction of red blood cells is iron deficiency. Iron is a necessary component of hemoglobin, so iron deficiency results in inadequate formation of new red blood cells.

Interesting facts about Mount Everest

 

 

 

 

Mount Everest – also called Qomolangma Peak or Mount Chomolungma – is the highest mountain on Earth, and the highest point on the Earth’s continental crust, as measured by the height above sea level of its summit, 8,848 metres (29,029 ft).

Everest was formed about 60 million years ago.

First man who ascent Everest: Sir Edmund Hillary, NZ and Tenzing Norgay, NP, via the South Col Route in May 29,1953.

Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain, is growing!
Millions of years ago, India was an island. Due to the motion of continental plates, India drifted North and crashed (very slowly!) into Asia about forty million years ago. Its northward motion created the Himalayan mountain range, and continues today. As a result of this motion, Mount Everest is growing by an average of about four centimeters (or one and a half inches) per year!

First person to summit Everest twice was Nawang Gombu-Nepal(once with Whitaker in ’63,and again two years later in ’65)Gombu now works for the Himalayan mountaineering institute.

About 120 corpses remain on Everest.




Courtesy:  http://www.strange-facts.info

WHO INVENTED WHAT ?

WHO INVENTED SEWING MACHINE ?


A German named Charles Wiesenthal who lived in England got patented the needle that he designed for sewing machine in 1755. It was in 1790 Thomas Saint, who was an English inventor and a maker of cabinets got a copyright for a sewing machine as a whole. This machine was designed to sew leather but it could not produce results and failed. Though Balthazar Krems invented an automated sewing machine to sew caps in 1810 but he did not get it patented. There were few unsuccessful tries too. In 1814 Josef Madersperger was able to get patent for his unsuccessful machine. Thomas Stone and James Henderson got French patent for their machine and Scott John Duncans for his embroidery machine in 1804 but both machines were a great failure.

The French tailor Barthelemy Thimonnier invented the first sewing machine that could function in 1830. The machine used a single thread and a needle which was hooked. The other tailors burnt his shop and almost killed him as they thought the new invention might bring unemployment.

It was in 1834 that America’s first successful machine came up and the man behind this was Walter Hunt who took no interest in getting a patent for it due to the fear that it might cause unemployment. It was in 1846 that Elias Howe got the first American patent for a sewing machine that had one pointed eye and accepted thread from two sources.

The mass production of machines started in 1850 when Isaac Singer invented the machine that was commercially successful.



WHO INVENTED REFRIGERATOR ?


It was in 18th century that the process of invention of refrigerator started. In 1748 William Cullen of University of Glasgow developed a process for creating an artificial cooling medium. No one took interest in it for commercial or home consumption, it only attracted scientific attention. An American inventor Oliver Evans made the first design for the refrigerator in 1804 but until 1834 none was interested in the same. Jacob Perkins built the first refrigeration machine in 1834. In 1844, a physician John Gorrie built a working unit on the basis of Oliver’s designs. He constructed this unit to create cooling atmosphere for his patients who were suffering from yellow fever.

In 1876 Carl von Linden invented the improved method of liquefying gas and got it patented. This was a great help in the creation of practical refrigerator. Ammonia, sulphur dioxide and methyl chloride were utilized for the formation of this gas which led to many accidents. The need led to the development of Freon and was used in bulk till it was found that it was not environment friendly and affected the ozone layer.

The gas compounds have now changed to safer compounds which compress and heat up working to cool the inside air of the refrigerator. Without this adjustment the working of the refrigerator seems impossible. It has been a work of many great inventors that the present form of refrigerators has simplified the work.



WHO INVENTED WALKMAN ?


Walkman is actually a Sony trademark and was the name used for portable tape or cassette deck players. These were meant for the listening pleasure of a single person and the trademark was later expanded for other portable Sony devices for audio and video entertainment. The term Walkman is also given to a range of the Sony Erricson range of mobile phones which also became immensely popular. Walkman was a device that was designed and created by audio engineer Nobutoshi Kihara who worked for Sony.

The Sony co-chairman Akio Morita wanted a device where he could listen to his favorite operas during the Trans Atlantic flights. The concept was well liked and was originally marketed in Japan in 1979 and was sensational, since it gave freedom to young people to listen to their music with light weight headphones.

Even though Morita hated the name Walkman, the name stuck on and the promotional campaign using the name had already begun and to change the name midway would have been extremely expensive for the company. In 2007 March, the digital flash based video walkman was released and was named the A800 series.

The Walkman by Sony faced stiff competition from other companies such as Toshiba, Aiwa, Panasonic etc, but the personalization of the gadget worked in its favor for almost 20 years and the essential design remained unchanged.



WHO INVENTED TELEVISION ?


The names of many are associated with the invention of the television. The two people who worked on the same appliance at two totally different places were Vladimir Kosma Zworykin; a Russian who was born in America and worked for Westinghouse Corporation, the other was a farm boy from Utah, Philo Taylor Farnsworth. Zworykin was the one who got his electron scanning tube also known as iconoscope patented first, in the year 1923 and was thus thought of as the inventor of modern television. The quality of his work was very poor and not appreciated.

It was on September 7, 1927 that Fransworth gave a successful demonstration for the transmission of the television signals for which he used his self designed scanning tube and received the patent for the same in the year 1930.

The patent for a similar type of tube was also applied for by Zworykin in 1923 but he was refused the same as the tube was not in a functional state. He could make a functional tube in the year 1934 and got the patent for it in 1938.

Many people acclaim John Logie Baird to be the original inventor of television as he was the one to give the very first live demonstration of the working television which had images that moved and had tone graduation on 26 January in the year 1926.



WHO INVENTED TOILET ?


Toilets as we know today have existed for about a century only. Earlier homes didn’t have the flushing toilet and even taking a bath was considered quite a luxury. The flush toilet is the most popular toilet that is used the world over and were known as water closets in the 19th century. Though the concept has been in use for a long period. Around 4000 years ago, in the Indus valley Civilization, toilets and sewers were an integral part to the city planning. The water flushing toilets were usually used by the affluent and these were linked to the drains that were also covered.

Remnants of water flushing toilets were also found at Skara Brae in Oakney, Scotland around 3100 BC – 2500 BC. The Pharaohs and ancient Persia also had toilets around the 18th century BC. While toilets during the roman times were a part of the public bath houses.

In the US, it was estimated that 90 liters of water were used by individuals in the flushing toilets everyday. Now newer designs are being implemented and researched that will reduce the water consumption and wastage. In many homes and offices, dual flush toilets are in use that is meant for reducing the wastage of water. The dual system uses less water for flushing smaller loads of wastage.



WHO INVENTED VACUUM CLEANER ?

 
Vacuum cleaners are used for residential, commercial and industrial purposes. They are also known as hoovers or even sweepers are used for sucking up both dry and wet wastes from the surroundings. The dirt that is collected is collected in a bag for later disposal. The first documented Vacuum cleaners were invented by Daniel Hess in the United States in 1860 and were called a carpet sweeper. Just like the modem Vacuum cleaners, it also had a rotating brush and had a bellow mechanism that was quite complex for sucking out the dirt and the filth from the carpets. Hess received a patent for his vacuum cleaner on July 10, 1860.

The first few vacuum cleaners that were invented were operated manually. Till 1900’s most vacuum cleaners that were invented by Ives W McGraffy, Melville Bissell and others were manual ones. Soon after the motorized versions of the vacuum cleaners began to be produced. John H Thurman created a gasoline powered carper cleaner for the General Compressed Air Company. However this design wasn’t very successful, since the dust was blown into receptacle rather than the dust being sucked in as the cleaners do now.

The first vacuum cleaners were quite bulky, stand up and couldn’t be easily moved. After Electrolux launched its model V that lay on the floor with metal runners future machines would standardize this pattern. Now robotic vacuum cleaners can clean the place effortlessly.



Couretesy:  http://whoinvented.org/