Reference Terms
from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Medicine
Medicine is the branch of health science and the sector of public life concerned with maintaining human health or restoring it through the treatment of disease and injury. It is both an area of knowledge - a science of body systems, their diseases and treatment - and the applied practice of that knowledge. Western medical care is shared between medical professionals (physicians) and other professionals such as physician assistants, nurses and pharmacists, sometimes known as allied health professionals. Historically, only those with a medical doctorate have been considered to practice medicine. Clinicians (licensed professionals who deal with patients) can be physicians, nurses, therapists or others. The medical profession is the social and occupational structure of the group of people formally trained and authorized to apply medical knowledge. Many countries and legal jurisdictions have legal limitations on who may practice medicine. Medicine comprises various specialized sub-branches, such as cardiology, pulmonology, neurology, or other fields such as sports medicine, research or public health.
Related Stories
1
2
Health & Medicine News
March 28, 2026
Mar. 28, 2026 Scientists have created a new kind of carbon material that could make carbon capture much cheaper and more efficient. By carefully controlling how nitrogen atoms are arranged, they found certain structures capture CO2 better and release it using far ...
Mar. 28, 2026 A widely used sugar substitute found in everything from keto snacks to diet drinks may not be as harmless as it seems. New research shows that erythritol can disrupt brain blood vessel cells, reducing their ability to relax, increasing harmful ...
Mar. 28, 2026 Scientists have uncovered how your body actually tells your brain to stop eating when you’re sick. In a new study, researchers found that specialized cells in the gut detect parasites and send ...
Mar. 28, 2026 Scientists have identified a key biological system that helps brown fat burn energy by building the networks it needs to function. A protein called SLIT3 splits into two parts, with each piece ...
Mar. 27, 2026 A new study reveals that high doses of antioxidants—often seen as harmless or beneficial—may actually impact future generations. Male mice given common supplements like NAC produced offspring with subtle but significant facial and skull changes. ...
Mar. 27, 2026 Scientists have uncovered a hidden reason why cancer treatments don’t work equally well for everyone. Certain drugs can become trapped inside lysosomes within tumor cells, forming slow-release reservoirs that create uneven drug distribution. This ...
Mar. 27, 2026 Gut bacteria aren’t just passive passengers—they can actively send proteins straight into our cells. Using microscopic injection systems, even harmless microbes can influence immune responses and ...
Mar. 27, 2026 Having both excess belly fat and low muscle mass isn’t just unhealthy—it’s potentially deadly, raising the risk of death by 83%. This condition, called sarcopenic obesity, creates a vicious cycle where fat accelerates muscle breakdown and ...
Mar. 26, 2026 Researchers have identified a crucial ion channel, TMEM175, that acts like an overflow valve in the cell’s recycling system. It regulates acidity inside lysosomes, ensuring they function properly. ...
Mar. 26, 2026 By closely monitoring fish throughout their lives, researchers found that simple behaviors in midlife—like movement and sleep—can predict lifespan. Fish that stayed active and slept mostly at night tended to live longer, while those slowing down ...
Mar. 26, 2026 Long COVID remains a frustrating medical mystery, affecting up to 1 in 10 people long after the initial infection fades. Now, scientists have uncovered a crucial clue hidden deep within the immune system. By analyzing individual immune cells, they ...
Mar. 26, 2026 Deepfake X-rays created by AI are now convincing enough to fool both doctors and AI models. In tests, radiologists had limited success identifying fake images, especially when they didn’t know they were being shown. This opens the door to risks ...
Latest Headlines
updated 12:56 pm ET
Mar. 26, 2026 Vivid dreams might be doing more than just entertaining your mind at night. Researchers found that immersive dreaming can actually make sleep feel deeper and more refreshing, even when brain activity ...
Mar. 25, 2026 A new prototype could supercharge mass spectrometry by analyzing thousands of molecules at once instead of one by one. The breakthrough boosts ...
Mar. 25, 2026 When temperatures plunge, the risk to your heart rises dramatically. A large U.S. study shows cold weather is linked to far more cardiovascular deaths than heat, accounting for tens of thousands of ...
Mar. 25, 2026 Scientists have discovered that losing a key protein in small cell lung cancer triggers inflammation that actually helps tumors grow and spread. Even more surprising, it pushes cancer cells into a ...
Mar. 25, 2026 Flower nectar often contains small amounts of alcohol, meaning pollinators like hummingbirds are drinking it all day long. Despite consuming human-equivalent amounts, they show no signs of ...
Mar. 25, 2026 A major discovery reveals that metformin works not just in the body, but in the brain. By switching off a key protein and activating specific neurons, the drug lowers blood sugar through a previously ...
Mar. 25, 2026 Nearly half of Americans don’t know that processed meat increases colorectal cancer risk, according to a new poll. But once they learn the connection, most support warning labels—suggesting ...
Mar. 25, 2026 Balance problems in aging and Parkinson’s may come from the body working too hard, not too little. Scientists found that the brain and muscles become overactive during even minor disturbances, yet ...
Mar. 24, 2026 Researchers have visualized atoms in motion just before a radiation-driven decay process occurs, revealing a surprisingly dynamic scene. Instead of remaining fixed, the atoms roam and rearrange, ...
Mar. 24, 2026 New fathers appear to have fewer mental health diagnoses during pregnancy and the early months after birth. But that early stability does not last. About a year later, depression and stress-related ...