Section · 9 health

Health

Health and wellness topics explained through the anatomy and physiology they act on. Guidance follows WHO, NHS and UK Chief Medical Officers' recommendations. Educational; not a personal plan.

Start here

Exercise and physical activitySleepNutrition

A

Alcohol

Alcohol is absorbed from the stomach and small intestine, distributed through body water and processed by the liver at roughly one unit an hour. In the short…

LifestyleLiverBrain

B

Body weight

Body fat is an active endocrine organ. Excess fat, particularly around the abdominal organs, releases inflammatory signals and free fatty acids that make…

LifestyleLiverPancreas

E

Exercise and physical activity

Movement is the single intervention that improves almost every organ system at once: it strengthens the heart, lowers blood pressure and blood sugar, builds…

LifestyleHeartLungs

H

Hydration

Water makes up about 60% of an adult's body and is the medium for every chemical reaction, the carrier for every nutrient and waste product, and the body's…

LifestyleKidneysUrinary bladder & urethra

N

Nutrition

Food supplies energy, the building blocks for every tissue, and the vitamins and minerals that enzymes need. The pattern that best protects the heart, brain…

LifestyleStomachSmall intestine

S

Sleep

Sleep is not downtime: the brain clears metabolic waste, consolidates memory and resets emotional circuits, while the body repairs tissue, releases growth…

LifestyleBrainBrainstem

Smoking and vaping

Tobacco smoke delivers nicotine, an addictive stimulant, in a cloud of 7,000 chemicals including 70 known carcinogens, carbon monoxide and tar. It damages…

LifestyleLungsTrachea & bronchial tree

T

Transgender and non-binary health

Trans and non-binary people need the same care as everyone else plus a few things specific to their bodies and treatment: monitoring of gender-affirming…

LifestyleBreastsProstate

W

Women's health through the life course

Women's health covers the care of organs that change every month and at every stage of life: periods, contraception and fertility, pregnancy, the menopause,…

LifestyleUterus & cervixOvaries & fallopian tubes

Browse by body system

SkeletonJoints & ligamentsMusclesHeartArteriesVeinsNervous systemSensory organsRespiratoryDigestiveUrinaryReproductiveEndocrineSkinFemale reproductiveVaginoplastyPhalloplasty

Other sections

ConditionsSymptomsPhysiologyMedical testsBiomarkersImagingProceduresMedicationsDrug classesDrug targetsFirst aidAnatomySearch everything