In the world of the cell
"The World of the Cage" at the Hygiene Museum
Museums of Russia
Preserving the health of the population and overcoming negative demographic trends is an urgent task of the last decades. Its implementation requires not only measures at the state level, but also the active participation of citizens themselves in individual health improvement and an interested attitude to health as the main value of human life.
The effectiveness of individual wellness programs increases significantly with the expansion of knowledge about the consequences of an improper lifestyle and the causes of diseases in connection with external factors.
"Journey into the World of the Cage" is a new excursion route of the St. Petersburg Museum of Hygiene, expanding the traditional schemes of building museum expositions. For the first time, visitors are given the opportunity to look through a microscope, see a variety of cells and touch the physiological mechanisms of the development of organ pathology through the apparatus of the cell – the finest microscopic structure, the mysteries of vital activity, which have not yet been completely solved. At the same time, it is at the cellular level that all negative shifts in the state of human health begin.
Understanding cellular disorders as a starting mechanism for the occurrence of diseases is of great importance for individual prevention at the preclinical level, when typical symptoms of the disease are still absent. In such cases, to reduce the risk, it is enough to change the lifestyle somewhat, get rid of some stereotypes of behavior and bad habits, eliminate adverse external factors, i.e. do what is available to everyone. In the future, this will improve the quality of life and, possibly, save significant funds required for the treatment of organ pathology.
The diversity of the world of cells cannot but arouse interest and surprise. In the XXI century, this is also important because modern technical capabilities make it possible to correct the state of health already at the cellular level. An example of this is the use in clinical practice of stem cells, multicomponent blood transfusion and other methods for the treatment of malignant diseases, blood diseases, immunodeficiency conditions, some infections.
It is difficult to overestimate the importance of cellular mechanisms in cases when it comes to reproductive function and hereditary pathology. The biological features of the human body, its state of health and even life expectancy are "programmed" in a certain way in the genetic apparatus of the cell. "Breakdowns" of this mechanism are caused by various reasons, many of them are subject to man and, therefore, can be corrected by him.
An important section of the excursion route is a set of exposition materials on pathogens of infectious diseases. Thanks to the modern light microscopes of the Karl Zeiss company, which took part in the preparation of the material, museum visitors can get acquainted with a variety of microorganisms that cause known infectious diseases (dysentery, salmonellosis, streptococcal and meningococcal infections, scarlet fever, typhus, gonorrhea, etc.). Experienced medical guides can conduct the necessary instruction on the rules of working with the microscope.
The excursion route "Journey to the world of the cage" is accessible to people of different ages. Additional explanations are provided by the museum staff at the request of visitors.
The exhibition will be held from January 20 to May 31 at the Hygiene Museum of the City Center for Medical Prevention (St. Petersburg, Italianskaya str., 25). Details are available on the museum's website.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru
21.01.2011