Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

A molecule consisting of 2 or more amino acids. Peptides are smaller than proteins, which are also chains of amino acids. Molecules small enough to be synthesized from the constituent amino acids are, by convention, called peptides rather than proteins. The dividing line is at about 50 amino acids. Depending on the number of amino acids,…

An ulcer in the lining of the stomach, duodenum, or esophagus. Peptic ulcers affect millions of people in the US yearly. Ulcer formation is related to Helicobacter pylori bacteria in the stomach, use of anti-inflammatory medications, and cigarette smoking. Peptic ulcer pain may not correlate with the presence or severity of ulceration. Complications of peptic ulcers include bleeding, perforation, and blockage of the…

The abbreviation PEP stands for a number of things in medicine including post-exposure prophylaxis. Prophylaxis means a defense or protection. Post-exposure prophylaxis, for example, might concern the treatment of a health care worker exposed by a needle stick to HIV with a drug such as AZT to protect them from being infected with HIV.

A penis that is abnormally small, also known as micropenis. In medical practice, the dimension of the penis that is measured is the length. This measurement is taken along the upper surface of the shaft of the penis to the tip, using a measuring tape or preferably a ruler. The ruler is pressed firmly into the soft tissue…

The state of the penis when it is filled with blood and becomes rigid. The penis contains two chambers called the corpora cavernosa, which run the length of the organ, are filled with spongy tissue, and are surrounded by a membrane called the tunica albuginea. The spongy tissue contains smooth muscles, fibrous tissues, spaces, veins, and arteries.…

The external male sex organ. The penis contains two chambers, the corpora cavernosa, which run the length of the organ. These chambers are filled with spongy tissue and surrounded by a membrane called the tunica albuginea. The spongy tissue contains smooth muscles, fibrous tissues, spaces, veins, and arteries. The urethra, which is the channel for urine and ejaculate,…

Of or pertaining to the penis.

The most famous of all antibiotics, named for the fungal mold Penicillium notatum from which it is derived. Penicillin acts by destroying the cell wall of bacteria. Penicillin is active against a number of types of bacteria including Streptococcus pneumoniae, Listeria, Neisseria gonorrhoea, Clostridium, Peptococcus, and Peptostreptococcus. Most staphylococci now are resistant to penicillin. Today, manyderivatives of penicillin are available which act on…

The lower part of the abdomen, located between the hip bones. Structures in the female pelvis include the uterus, vagina, ovaries, fallopian tubes, bladder, and rectum. Structures in the male pelvis include the bladder, rectum, prostate, testicles, and penis.

Pain perceived in the area of the pelvis, the lower part of the abdomen located between the hip bones. The term pelvic pain is most commonly used to refer to pain arising from reproductive organs (uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries, vagina) in women. Pelvic pain can have numerous causes, including menstrual cramps; pain from a rupture of an ectopic pregnancy, ovarian cyst, or other mass; endometriosis; and pelvic inflammatory disease.…