Joe is 40 years old and 30 pounds overweight. Like many ...

[dollx]

Joe is 40 years old and 30 pounds overweight. Like many middle-aged men, Joe carries most of this extra weight in his abdomen and jokes with his friends about his beer gut. During an annual physical, Joe's physician advises him that his spine is developing an abnormal curvature. Why is the curvature of Joe's spine changing, and what is this condition called?

Question 2

What role do the fontanelles play in infant development?

[spencer.martell]

Answer to Question 1

The curvature of the spine is changing as a result of the heavy abdomen pulling on the anterior cavity. This extra weight causes abnormal spinal curvature to compensate for balance. The condition is called lordosis because its effects are prevalent in the lumbar region.

Answer to Question 2

These fibrous connective tissue structures fill in between the bones of the cranium in a newborn infant. As the brain grows, the skull bones can move apart and allow for brain growth without interfering with nervous system development and function. If they are prematurely ossified, brain development is restricted, leading to skull deformity and mental retardation. This condition is called craniostenosis.

[dollx]

Great answer, keep it coming

[gcook]

Thanks for the timely response, appreciate it