Bones Grow

When you were a baby, you had tiny hands, tiny feet, and tiny everything! Slowly,as you grew older, everything became a bit bigger, including your bones.

A baby's body has about 300 bones at birth. These eventually fuseto form the 206 bones that adults have. Some of a baby's bones are made entirely of a special material called cartilage Other bones in a baby are partly made of cartilage. This cartilage is soft and flexible.

During childhood, as you are growing, the cartilage grows and is slowly replaced by bone, with help from calcium.

By the time you are about 25, this process will be complete. After this happens, there can be no more growth — the bones are as big as they will ever be. All of these bones make up a skeleton that is both very strong and very light.

Medicaid

Medicaid is government health insurance that helps many low-income people in the United States to pay their medical bills. Although the Federal government establishes general guidelines for the program, each state has its own rules. Your state might require you to pay a small part of the cost for some medical services.

You have to meet certain requirements to be eligible for Medicaid. These might involve

Your age

Whether you are pregnant, disabled or blind

Your income and resources

Whether or not you are a U.S. citizen or a lawfully admitted immigrant.

Measles

Measles is an infectious disease caused by a virus. It spreads easily from person to person. The main symptom of measles is an itchy skin rash. The rash often starts on the head and moves down the body. Other symptoms include

* Fever
* Cough
* Runny nose
* Conjunctivitis (pink eye)

Sometimes measles can lead to serious problems. There is no treatment for measles, but the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine can prevent it. You may have heard of "German measles", also known as rubella, which is a different illness altogether.

Radiation Emergencies

Radiation is a type of energy. People are exposed to small amounts of radiation every day from sources such as sunlight. A radiation emergency would involve larger amounts of radiation and could be caused by

* Dirty bombs - a mix of explosives with radioactive powder
* Fallout from a nuclear bomb
* Accidental release from a nuclear reactor or a nuclear weapons plant.

A lot of radiation over a short period can cause burns or radiation sickness. If the exposure is large enough, it can cause premature aging or even death.

Although there are no guarantees of safety during a radiation emergency, you can take actions to protect yourself. You should have a disaster plan. Being prepared can help reduce fear, anxiety and losses.

Biodefense and Bioterrorism

Terrorism refers to the use or threat of force or violence against people or property. A bioterrorist attack releases viruses, bacteria, or other germs to cause illness or death. These biological agents are typically found in nature. But they can sometimes be made more harmful by increasing their ability to cause or spread disease, or to resist medical treatment.

Biological agents spread through the air, water or in food. They can be very hard to detect, and they don't cause illness for several hours or days. Some agents can also be spread from person to person. Scientists worry that anthrax, botulism, hemorrhagic fever viruses such as Ebola, plague, or smallpox could be used as biological agents.

Biodefense involves medical measures to protect people against biological agents. This means medicines and vaccinations. It also means medical research and preparations to defend against bioterrorist attacks.

Marijuana

Marijuana is a dry, shredded mix of flowers, stems, seeds and leaves of the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. People usually smoke it as a cigarette or in a pipe. It is the most commonly abused illegal drug in the United States.

Abusing marijuana can result in problems with memory, learning and social behavior. It can interfere with family, school, work and other activities.

Scientific studies are underway to test the safety and usefulness of cannabis compounds for treating certain medical conditions. Currently, smoking marijuana is not recommended for the treatment of any disease or condition.

Medicare

Medicare is the U.S. government's health insurance program for people age 65 or older. Certain people under age 65 can qualify for Medicare, too, including those with disabilities, permanent kidney failure or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Medicare helps with the cost of health care, but it does not cover all medical expenses or the cost of most long-term care. The program has four parts:

* Part A is hospital insurance.
* Part B helps pay for medical services that Part A doesn't cover.
* Part C is called Medicare Advantage. If you have Parts A and B, you can choose this option to receive all of your health care through a provider organization, like an HMO.
* Part D is prescription drug coverage. It helps pay for some medicines.