Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

Inflammation of both the spinal cord and the brain. Myeloencephalitis (also called encephalomyelitis) can be caused by a variety of conditions that lead to inflammation of the spinal cord and brain. Among the common causes of myeloencephalitis are viruses which infect the nervous system. One type, acute disseminated myeloencephalitis, occurs most commonly after an acute viral infection such as measles (rubeola) and is due to be…

Dilation of the pupil. The opposite of mydriasis is miosis.

A large group of bacteria, with more than 100 types identified. Mycoplasma are very simple one-celled organisms without outer membranes. They penetrate and infect individual cells. Mycoplasma hominis and Mycoplasma pneumoniae are examples of mycoplasma bacteria that occur in humans.

A serious opportunistic infection that is caused by two similar bacteria, Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium intercellulare, which are found in the soil and in dust particles. Abbreviated MAC. In persons with suppressed immune systems, such as people with AIDS, MAC can spread through the bloodstream to infect lymph nodes, bone marrow, the liver, the spleen, spinal fluid, the lungs, and the intestinal tract.…

A slow-growing bacterium found in the soil and in dust particles that causes tuberculosis in birds and swine and is responsible for the mycobacterium avian complex (MAC) in humans. 

A large family of bacteria that have unusually waxy cell walls that are resistant to digestion. The mycobacteria includes: The mycobacteria are acid-fast rod-shaped bacteria. They are usually slow-growing. Many are intracellular parasites.

Prefix that denotes a relationship to fungus. From the Greek mykes, meaning fungus.

Prefix that denotes a relationship to fungus. From the Greek mykes, meaning fungus.

An autoimmune neuromuscular disorder that is characterized by fatigue and exhaustion of muscles. Abbreviated MG. MG is caused by a mistaken immune response to the body’s own nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, which are found in junctions between muscles and the nervous system. The body produces antibodies that attack these receptors, preventing signals from reaching the muscles. A number of treatments are available that…

Pain in the muscles or within muscle ’tissue.