Like the world around us, the medical field is constantly evolving. He always pushes forward, trying to understand the mysteries of the human body that have baffled researchers for decades. What confuses scientists most are the organisms or conditions that create these abnormalities that can send the human body into a downward spiral. Disease is something that has affected human civilization since the dawn of time. It can be chronic or acute, but either way it has the potential to cause damage to human body systems which can lead to devastating consequences. There are generally two main types of diseases, those caused by invading pathogens and those that are hereditary. One inherited disease that can be particularly tragic is cystic fibrosis. Cystic fibrosis is a particularly deadly disease, mostly affecting children and adolescents, but a diagnosis later in life is not unheard of. “It is a hereditary disease of the secretarial glands” (“What is cystic,” 2011) that can affect many organs of the body, especially the lungs. One of the reasons why cystic fibrosis (short for cystic fibrosis) is so life-threatening is the amount of organs it can affect within the body. It can affect organs such as the "pancreas, liver, intestines, breasts and sexual organs" ("www.medincinet.com," 1996). Mucus lines many tissues of the body, it is naturally a “thin and slippery” secretion (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2010), but in a client with cystic fibrosis these secretions “become thick and sticky. [Reference Figure 1.] Instead of acting as a lubricant, the secretions block tubes, ducts and passages especially in the pancreas” (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2010). These blockages in the pancreas mean that “digestive enzymes that your pancre...... middle of paper......annel_condition_info_details.asp?Cff.org. (2010, April 12). Retrieved from http://www.cff.org/treatments/Therapies/channel_id=2048&relation_id=36867&disease_id=41&page_no=2www.medincinet.com. (1996). Retrieved from http://www.medicinenet.com/cystic_fibrosis/article.htmwww.medicinet.com. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.medicinenet.com/the_digestive_system/glossary.htmSchriber, A. (2009, October 14). Medlineplus. Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003853.htmSheridan, C. (2011, 06 07). First drug for cystic fibrosis advances toward approval. Retrieved from http://www.nature.com/nbt/journal/v29/n6/full/nbt0611-465.htmlWhat is cystic fibrosis. (2011, June 01). Retrieved from http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/cf/www.medincinet.com. (1996). Retrieved from http://www.medicinenet.com/cystic_fibrosis/article.htm