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When blood is exposed to air, it clots. Heparin allows the blood to come in direct contact with air without clotting.
In the United States, an estimated 50 million unnecessary antibiotics are prescribed for viral respiratory infections.
The term bacteria was devised in the 19th century by German biologist Ferdinand Cohn. He based it on the Greek word "bakterion" meaning a small rod or staff. Cohn is considered to be the father of modern bacteriology.
Most fungi that pathogenically affect humans live in soil. If a person is not healthy, has an open wound, or is immunocompromised, a fungal infection can be very aggressive.
Cancer has been around as long as humankind, but only in the second half of the twentieth century did the number of cancer cases explode.