Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

A laboratory procedure in which sperm are put in a special dish with unfertilized eggs to achieve fertilization. The embryos that result can be transferred into the uterus or frozen (cryopreserved) for future use. Abbreviated IVF.

In the normal location. An in situ tumor is one that is confined to its site of origin and has not invaded neighboring tissue or gone elsewhere in the body. For example, squamous cell carcinoma in situ is an early stage of skin cancer.

Abbreviation for inch.

Inclined to act on impulse rather than thought. People who are overly impulsive, seem unable to curb their immediate reactions or think before they act. As a result, they may blurt out answers to questions or inappropriate comments, or run into the street without looking. Their impulsivity may make it hard for a child to wait for…

A common problem among men characterized by the consistent inability to sustain an erection sufficient for sexual intercourse or the inability to achieve ejaculation, or both. Impotence can vary. It can involve a total inability to achieve an erection or ejaculation, an inconsistent ability to do so, or a tendency to sustain only very brief erections. The risk…

The act of setting in firmly. In embryology, implantation refers specifically to the attachment of the fertilized egg to the uterine lining, which occurs approximately 6 or 7 days after conception (fertilization). Many medical devices or materials may be implanted (embedded). There are breast implants, cochlear implants, defibrillator implants, pacemaker implants, etc.

A skin infection caused by the staphylococcus or, less often, by the streptococcus bacterium. The first sign of impetigo is a patch of red, itchy skin. Pustules develop on this area, soon forming crusty, yellow-brown sores that can spread to cover entire areas of the face, arms, and other body parts. Most patients are children. Because impetigo is caused by a…

A transition phase between normal glucose tolerance and diabetes, also referred to as prediabetes. In impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), the levels of blood glucose are between normal and diabetic. People with IGT do not have diabetes. Each year, only 1-5% of people whose test results show IGT actually develop diabetes. And with retesting, as many as half of the people…

To lodge firmly or wedge in. For example, a molar tooth that is growing up and against an adjacent tooth is impacting the tooth next to it.

Treatment to stimulate or restore the ability of the immune (defense) system to fight infection and disease. Biological therapy is thus any form of treatment that uses the body’s natural abilities that constitute the immune system to fight infection and disease or to protect the body from some of the side effects of treatment. Immunotherapy (also called biological…