Usman

Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

  • Rheumatoid arthritis

    Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation of joints. Rheumatoid disease can also involve inflammation of tissues in other areas of the body, such as the lungs, heart, and eyes. Because it can affect multiple organs of the body, rheumatoid arthritis is referred to as a systemic illness. Although rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic illness, patients may experience long periods…

  • Rhabdomyolysis

    A condition in which skeletal muscle is broken down, releasing muscle enzymes and electrolytes from inside the muscle cells. Risks of rhabdomyolysis include muscle breakdown and kidney failure because the cellular component myo-globin is toxic to the kidneys. Rhabdomyolysis is relatively uncommon, but it most often occurs as the result of extensive muscle damage as, for example, in crush injury or…

  • Rh factor

    An antigen found on the surface of red blood cells. Red blood cells with the antigen are said to be Rh positive (Rh+). Those without the surface antigen are said to be Rh negative (Rh-). Blood used in transfusions much match donors for Rh status as well as for ABO blood group, as Rh- patients will develop anemia if given R+…

  • RF

    Rheumatoid factor.

  • Reverse transcriptase

    An enzyme that permits DNA to be made, using RNA as the template. A retrovirus, such as the HIV virus, can propagate itself by converting its RNA into DNA with reverse transcriptase.

  • Reuptake

    The reabsorption of a secreted substance by the cell that originally produced and secreted it. The process of reuptake, for example, affects serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter (a chemical messenger). It is produced by nerve cells in the brain and is used by nerves to communicate with one another. A nerve releases the serotonin that it has produced into…

  • Retromingent

    Urinating backwards. Also an animal such as a raccoon that urinates backwards. As in: “You have revealed yourself as a miserable, carping, retromingent vigilante, and I for one am sick of wasting my time communicating with you” (Benjamin C. Bradlee, Editor, The Washington Post). From the Latin retro- (back) + mingent from mingere (to urinate).

  • Retinopathy

    Any disease of the retina, the light-sensitive membrane at the back of the eye. The type of retinopathy is often specified, such as arteriosclerotic retinopathy, diabetic retinopathy, or hypertensive retinopathy.

  • Retinoid

    1. Vitamin A (retinol) or a naturally occurring or synthetic substance chemically related to it. (Retinoid literally means “like retinol.”)2. In ophthalmology, resembling the retina.

  • Retina

    The retina is the nerve layer that lines the back of the eye, senses light, and creates impulses that travel through the optic nerve to the brain. There is a small area, called the macula, in the retina that contains special light-sensitive cells. The macula allows us to see fine details clearly. The eye has a number of…

Got any book recommendations?

Get In Touch