Facts & Factoids – 09
- Simple But Significant
1. What is Myositis?
- Myositis. Symptoms. Causes. Types.
Myositis is a rare muscle disease.
Symptoms.
Weak, painful or aching muscles.
Tripping, falling and tiredness after walking or standing.
It usually gets worse slowly overtime.
So far there is no cure.
It can cause significant disability and even death if untreated or inadequately treated.
Causes.
Infection.
Mostly viral and bacterial or fungi.
Types.
Mostly 5 types.
SBM: Sporadic Inclusion Body myositis. Most common. More often in men, above 50.
DM: Dermatomyositis. More common among women.
PM: Polymyositis. More in women after age 20.
NM: Necrotizing Myopathy. Marked by muscle cell death.
JM: Juvenile Myositis. Found in children under 18.
2. How does Lightning Form?
Formation of Lightning:
Lightning begins inside thunderclouds.
Thundercloud is a Cumulonimbus cloud.
It is a dark cloud with great vertical extent, charged with electricity. It creates thunderstorms.
Lightning is formed when water and ice particles are thrown together by air currents.
It produces static electricity.
Cloud’s top is charged with positive current and bottom with negative.
The huge difference between the two charges forms a lightning bolt.
Then the current leaps between the cloud and the positively charged ground to neutralize the charge.
That’s how Lightning forms.
3. Mantas Hunt by Scent
Mantas are extremely large tropical rays.
They can have a wingspan of over 6 meters (about 20 feet).
They are usually harmless but dangerous with its size if harpooned.
They are adapted to life on or near the seabed.
Their flattened bodies allow them to lie on the bottom.
It makes them undetected.
They have their gills on the underside of their bodies.
Clean water is only allowed to the gill chambers through a spiracle on beside their eyes.
They feed on plankton, shellfish, crustaceans, and small fish.
They hunt their food largely by scent.
4. Citrus Fruits – Uses
Countless Uses of Citrus Fruits:
Citrus fruits have been cultivated for at least 2,000 years in subtropical climates.
They are a rich source of vitamin C.
They are chiefly valued for their edible fruit, peel, and juice.
They provide vital flavorings in food and drink.
Their peels, leaves, and shoots yield essential oils.
These oils are used in making cosmetics, scents, and aromatherapy.
Soaps are made from their seed oils.
They have many medicinal values too.
Colds, coughs, and sore throats can all be soothed by citrus juices.
5. How many pairs of ribs are there in human body?
12 pairs of ribs are there in our body.
- True Ribs:
The first seven pairs are called true ribs.
They are directly attached to the sternum by costal cartilages.
- False Ribs.
The 8th, 9th, and 10th pairs are the false ribs.
They do not join the sternum directly but are connected to the 7th rib by cartilage.
- Floating Ribs.
The 11th and 12th pair of ribs are called floating ribs because they are only attached to the back of the rib cage anchored to the vertebrae of the spine.
