1.4 Chemical Determination. Proteins are complex, organic compounds composed of many amino acids linked together through peptide bonds and cross-linked between chains by sulfhydryl bonds, hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces.
What causes pleurisy? In young, healthy people, an infection of the lower respiratory system by a virus or bacteria may cause pleurisy. Pleurisy usually lasts a few days to 2 weeks. In very rare cases, the virus or bacteria may spread and cause pleurisy in others. Other causes of pleurisy include air leaking into the pleural cavity from a hole in a lung (pneumothorax), injury to the chest (such as a broken rib), tuberculosis or other infections, or a tumor in the pleura.
Healthy lifestyle practices can reduce the risk of lung infection for people with pleurisy, including good hand washing, drinking plenty of fluids, eating a well-balanced diet, getting plenty of rest, and refraining from smoking. In some cases, pleurisy can be associated with serious or life-threatening symptoms. Seek immediate medical care (call 911) for serious symptoms, such as severe difficulty breathing, severe sharp chest pain, bluish lips or fingernails, fast heart rate, and anxiety.