Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

A naturally occurring salt that, in purified form, is used to treat certain psychiatric disorders, especially bipolar disease The therapeutic level of lithium’the amount needed to treat bipolar disorders’is perilously close to the level that can cause toxicity, so monitoring of blood levels is required. Symptoms of lithium toxicity include diarrhea, vomiting, blurred vision, loss of…

A metric measure of capacity that is equal to the volume of 1 kilogram of water at 4′ Celsius and at standard atmospheric pressure of 760 millimeters of mercury. There are 1,000 cubic centimeters, or 1 cubic decimeter, in 1 liter. A liter is a little more than 1 quart (1.057 US liquid quarts). Abbreviated L…

A group of bacteria capable of causing illness including potentially fatal infections in the elderly, newborns, pregnant women, and persons with a weakened immune system. Listeria monocytogenes is the form of Listeria most commonly responsible for infections. Symptoms of listeriosis include fever, muscle aches, nausea and diarrhea. If infection spreads to the nervous system, symptoms such as headache, stiff neck,…

The Liquid diet is the restriction of solid food intake, and replacement of solid food with liquids. In hospitals, liquid diets are prescribed by doctors for a number of reasons for patients who are unable to consume solid foods. Liquid diets may be prescribed following surgery or as a preparation for certain medical procedures. Additionally, some people…

Aside from the lips of the mouth, there are two pairs of lips at the entrance to the vagina. They are the labia majora (the larger outside pair) and the labia minora (the smaller inside pair). Together they form part of the vulva (the female external genitalia).

A molecule that is a combination of lipid and protein. Lipids do not travel in the blood by themselves, but they are carried through the bloodstream as lipoproteins.

A benign tumor of adipocytes (fat cells). Lipomas are common in the skin and are found anywhere on the body. They may be surgically removed for cosmetic reasons.

A disorder of adipose (fatty) tissue characterized by a selective loss of body fat. Patients with lipodystrophy have a tendency to develop insulin resistance, diabetes, a high triglyceride level (hypertriglyceridemia), and fatty liver. There are numerous forms of lipodystrophy that are genetic (inherited) or acquired (not inherited). The genetic forms of lipodystrophy include congenital generalized lipodystrophy (the Berardinelli-Seip syndrome) and several types of familial partial lipodystrophy (the Dunnigan…

A type of statin that lowers the level of cholesterol in the blood.

Another word for “fats.” (Please see the various meanings of Fat.) Lipids can be more formally defined as substances such as a fat, oil or wax that dissolves in alcohol but not in water. Lipids contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen but have far less oxygen proportionally than carbohydrates. Lipids are an important part of living cells. Together with…