Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

The blood pressure when the heart is contracting. It is specifically the maximum arterial pressure during contraction of the left ventricle of the heart. The time at which ventricular contraction occurs is called systole. In a blood pressure reading, the systolic pressure is typically the first number recorded. For example, with a blood pressure of 120/80 (“120 over 80”), the…

The time period when the heart is contracting. The period specifically during which the left ventricle of the heart contracts. The final letter in “systole” is pronounced as a long “e” as in “lee.” The adjective for systole is systolic. The systolic pressure is specifically the maximum arterial pressure during contraction of the left ventricle of…

A form of mastocytosis characterized by infiltrates of mast cells in the skin, lymph nodes, liver, spleen, gastrointestinal tract, bones, and joints with a predisposition to peptic ulcer due to excess stomach acid (caused by the release of histamine from the mast cells). Treatment may include antihistamines, drugs to reduce stomach acid, migraine headache drugs for headache, and cromolyn for bowel symptoms.

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a chronic inflammatory condition caused by an autoimmune disease. An autoimmune disease occurs when the body’s tissues are attacked by its own immune system. Patients with lupus have unusual antibodies in their blood that are targeted against their own body tissues. Lupus can cause disease of the skin, heart, lungs, kidneys, joints, and nervous system. When only the skin…

Affecting the entire body. A systemic disease such as diabetes can affect the whole body. Systemic chemotherapy employs drugs that travel through the bloodstream and reach and affect cells all over the body.

A medical device that is used to inject fluid into, or withdraw fluid from, the body. A medical syringe consists of a needle attached to a hollow cylinder that is fitted with a sliding plunger. The downward movement of the plunger injects fluid; upward movement withdraws fluid. Medical syringes were once made of metal or…

Syphilis:?A sexually transmitted disease caused by Treponema pallidum, a microscopic organism called a spirochete. This worm-like, spiral-shaped organism infects people by burrowing into the moist mucous membranes of the mouth or genitals. From there, the spirochete produces a non-painful ulcer known as a chancre. There are three stages of syphilis. The first (primary) stage:?This involves the formation of…

Putting together different entities to make a whole which is new and different. In biochemistry, synthesis refers specifically to the process of building compounds from more elementary substances by means of one or more chemical reactions. For example, the adipocyte is a cell that is specialized in the synthesis and storage of fat.