Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

An enzyme that is normally present in liver and heart cells. SGOT is released into blood when the liver or heart is damaged. The blood SGOT levels are thus elevated with liver damage (for example, from viral hepatitis) or with an insult to the heart (for example, from a heart attack). Some medications can also raise SGOT levels. SGOT…

The clear liquid that can be separated from clotted blood. Serum differs from plasma, the liquid portion of normal unclotted blood containing the red and white cells and platelets. It is the clot that makes the difference between serum and plasma. Terms in this dictionary with the word “serum” include maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (MSAFP), serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), serum…

A finely notching like that along the cutting edge of a saw. The serratus muscles take their name from their serrated appearance. 

A neurotransmitter that is involved in the transmission of nerve impulses. Serotonin can trigger the release of substances in the blood vessels of the brain that in turn cause the pain of migraine. Serotonin is also key to mood regulation; pain perception; gastrointestinal function, including the perception of hunger and satiety; and other physical functions.

Inflammation of the serous tissues of the body (the tissues that line the lungs, heart, abdomen, and inner abdominal organs).

The development of detectable antibodies in the blood that are directed against an infectious agent. Antibodies do not usually develop until some time after the initial exposure to the agent. Following seroconversion, a person tests positive for the antibody when given tests that are based on the presence of antibodies, such as ELISA.

An amino acid, one of the 20 building blocks of protein. A dietary nonessential amino acid, serine is present in many proteins participates in the synthesis of purines and pyrimidines, and is in the active sites of many enzymes. Symbol: Ser.

An accidental and fortunate discovery. A celebrated instance of serendipity in biomedical research took place in 1928 at St Mary’s Hospital in London. While studying staphylococci (staph bacteria), the physician and microbiologist Alexander Fleming happened to noticed that on a dish containing agar on which he had been growing germs, near some mold, the germs were less common. He…

Serine. 

1. In medicine, to set apart, detach or separate a small portion of tissue from the rest. May be naturally occurring or iatrogenic. 2. In bone, for a piece of dead bone to separate from the sound bone. 3. In biochemistry, to isolate a constituent of a system by chelation or other means. From the French sequester, from the late Latin sequestrare, meaning to place…