Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

A spongy, tube-shaped organ that is about 6 inches long and is located in the back of the abdomen, behind the stomach. The head of the pancreas is on the right side of the abdomen. It is connected to the upper end of the small intestine. The narrow end of the pancreas, called the tail, extends…

Ulcerative colitis that involves the entire colon (the large intestine). Ulcerative colitis itself is a relatively common disease involving inflammation of the large intestine (the colon). The cause is unknown. It is a form of inflammatory bowel disease and has some similarity to a related disorder, Crohn’s disease. The lower end of the colon (the rectum) is always involved in ulcerative colitis.…

Paralysis, generally partial, whereby a local body area is incapable of voluntary movement. For example, Bell’s palsy is localized paralysis of the muscles on one side of the face.

Unpleasant sensations of irregular and/or forceful beating of the heart. In some patients with palpitations, no heart disease or abnormal heart rhythms can be found. In others, palpitations result from abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias).

Something that can be felt. For example, a palpable growth is one that can be detected by touch.

An antioxidant and a vitamin A compound that is added to low-fat and fat-free milk to replace the vitamin content lost through the removal of milk fat. Palmitate (more formally known as retinyl palmitate) contains palmitic acid, a 16-carbon saturated fatty acid, which is the major fatty acid found in palm oil. The palmitic acid is attached to the alcohol form of…

Pertaining to the palm (the grasping side) of the hand. The ancient Romans used the word “palma” for the outstretched palm of the hand. By comparison, the term “volar” applies to both the palm and sole. It comes from word “vola” which the Romans used for “the palm of the hand and the sole of…

The grasping side of the hand; the flexor surface of the hand. In contrast to the back of the hand, the extensor surface of the hand. From the Latin “palma” for the outstretched palm of the hand. The palm tree is so named from the resemblance of the shape of its frond to the palm…

To palliate a disease is to treat it partially and insofar as possible, but not cure it completely. Palliation cloaks a disease. Also sometimes called symptomatic treatment. To take a case, a 91-year-old man was found to have a tumor in his lung. He did not have chest surgery because of his age and the general…

In genetics, a DNA or RNA sequence that reads the same in both directions. The sites of many restriction enzymes that cut (restrict) DNA are palindromes. In rheumatology, palindromic rheumatism is a form of joint inflammation in which the joints involved by the arthritis appear to change periodically from one region of the body to another and back…