Yolanda Smith

Feature Writer

B.Pharm.

Pharmacy

Yolanda graduated with a Bachelor of Pharmacy at the University of South Australia and has experience working in both Australia and Italy. She is passionate about how medicine, diet and lifestyle affect our health and enjoys helping people understand this. In her spare time she loves to explore the world and learn about new cultures and languages.

Articles from Yolanda

Oral Candidiasis (Oral Thrush)

Oral candidiasis, commonly known as oral thrush, is a fungal infection that occurs inside the mouth. It is not contagious and in most cases can be treated with a simple course of topical antifungal medication applied directly to the affected area in the mouth.

3 Aug 2017

Button Phobia

The term phobia refers to fearfulness due to a certain anxiety disorder in which the individual is in dread of a situation, a living creature, a place, or a thing. “Button phobia,” as the name indicates, is a fear of buttons, and is classified as an irrational phobia. It is also known as koumpounophobia, a fear closely related to the fear of circular or void objects. Apparently, koumpounophobia affects 1 in 75,000 people.

28 Jul 2017

History of the Electron Microscope

The history of the electron microscope dates back to early twentieth century when the first electromagnetic lens was developed. This opened the door of possibility to use the principles of the lens to invent a microscope that could examine the structure of samples with greater detail.

27 Jul 2017

What is Scanning Probe Microscopy?

Scanning probe microscopy is used to create images of nanoscale surfaces and structures or manipulate atoms to move them in specific patterns. It involves a physical probe that scans over the surface of a specimen gathering data that is used to generate the image or manipulate the atoms.

19 Jul 2017

Applications of Electron Microscopy

Electron microscopy has a diverse range of applications in practice. The ability to view the microscopic structure of a specimen at a higher resolution than what is possible with optical microscopy gives it a distinct role in scientific research and industry applications. Several of these applications are covered in more detail below.

5 Jul 2017

Dental Crown / Tooth Cap

A dental crown, also sometimes referred to as a “cap,” is a type of dental restoration that fits over the remains of a tooth to restore the appearance of the natural tooth or to protect it from further damage.

4 Jul 2017

What is Photosynthesis?

Photosynthesis is a chemical process by which plants, some bacteria, and algae convert energy derived from sunlight to chemical energy. This is an important process for biological life on earth because it allows energy from sunlight to be harnessed and transferred into a form that can be utilized by organisms to fuel their activity.

27 Jun 2017

What is Infrared Microscopy?

Infrared (IR) microscopy, also known as infrared microspectroscopy, is a type of light microscopy that uses a source that transmits infrared wavelengths of light to view an image of the sample. Unlike other optical microscopes with absorbent glass optics, an infrared microscope has reflective optics to allow the microscope to cover the entire spectral range of infrared light.

21 Jun 2017

What is Ultraviolet Microscopy?

Ultraviolet (UV) microscopy is a type of light microscopy that utilizes UV light to generate a magnified image of the sample being analyzed. As a result of the shorter wavelength of UV light than visible light, it is possible to view samples with greater magnification and resolution.

13 Jun 2017

Periodontitis and Type 2 Diabetes

Periodontitis and diabetes are closely linked, and people who have poorly controlled diabetes are more likely to be affected by periodontitis. This increased risk is primarily linked to the blood glucose levels. When individuals have a high level of glucose in the blood, an infection of the gums is more likely and the symptoms of the condition are often more severe.

8 Jun 2017