Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

Pertaining to mucus, a thick fluid produced by the lining of some tissues of the body.

Having to do with a mucous membrane. For example, the oral mucosa.

Abbreviation for methotrexate.

A multiple subpial transection (MST) is a procedure is used to help control seizures that begin in areas of the brain that cannot be safely removed. The surgeon makes a series of shallow cuts (transections) in the brain tissue. These cuts interrupt the movement of seizure impulses but do not disturb normal brain activity, leaving the person’s…

Monosodium glutamate, a sodium salt of the amino acid glutamic acid that enhances the flavor of certain foods. Originally isolated from seaweed, MSG is now made by fermenting corn, potatoes and rice. It does not enhance the four basic tastes (bitter, salty, sour, sweet) but it does enhance the complex flavors of meat, poultry, seafood, and vegetables. MSG is an…

The presence of AFP, a plasma protein normally produced by the fetus, in the mother’s blood. The MSAFP serves as the basis for some valuable tests. AFP is manufactured principally in the fetus’s liver and, also, in the fetal gastrointestinal (GI) tract and the yolk sac, a structure temporarily present during embryonic development. The level of AFP is typically…

Abbreviation for tandem mass spectrometry. 

Minimal residual disease, evidence for the presence of residual malignant cells, even when so few cancer cells are present that they cannot be found by routine means. Tests for minimal residual disease (MRD) can detect some early tumors. In a patient who has been treated, the detection of MRD indicates that treatment is incomplete. MRD can thus distinguish who…

Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography, an application of MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) to the hepatobiliary and pancreatic system. An MRCP uses an MRI machine with special software to obtain images comparable to the cholangiogram and pancreatogram obtained by the more invasive approach with ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography) without the added risks of sedation, pancreatitis, and perforation. MRCP may be useful, for example,…

1. In the US, the Medical Reserve Corps. 2. In the UK and some Commonwealth countries, the Medical Research Council.