Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

A virus in which the genetic material is RNA. The RNA may be either double- or single-stranded. There are 6 classes of viruses. The DNA viruses constitute classes I and II. The RNA viruses make up the remaining classes. Class III viruses have a double-stranded RNA genome. Class IV viruses have a positive single-stranded RNA genome,…

Ribonucleic acid.

Right middle lobe, the middle-right lobe of the lung.

Right lower quadrant, the lower-right quarter of the abdomen.

Right lower lobe, the lower-right lobe of the lung.

Something that increases a person’s chances of developing a disease. For example, cigarette smoking is a risk factor for lung cancer, and obesity is a risk factor for heart disease.

Retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) is a procedure for doing surgery within the kidney using a viewing tube called a fiberoptic endoscope. In RIRS the scope is placed through the urethra (the urinary opening) into the bladder and then through the ureter into the urine-collecting part of the kidney. The scope thus is moved retrograde (up the urinary tract system) to within the kidney (intrarenal).…

Ringworm is a fungal infection of the skin previously thought to be due to a parasite (worm). The medical term for ringworm is tinea. The skin infections are sometimes characterized by round lesions in the upper layers of the skin. Fungi that cause ringworm are known as dermatophytes.

Medically called tinnitus, can be due to many causes including ear infections, fluid in the ears, Meniere syndrome (the combination of tinnitus and deafness), some medications such as aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), aging, and ear trauma (such as from the noise of planes, firearms, or loud music). In rare situations, tinnitus may also be due to an aneurysm or…

Literally, the stiffness of death. The rigidity of a body after death. Rigor mortis is a good example of a Latin term (one in this case that was coined in the 19th century) remaining intact in contemporary medical usage (and crime writing). Rigor mortis is due to a biochemical change in the muscles that occurs several hours after death, though…