Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

1. A synthetic narcotic that resembles the naturally occurring opiates. 2. Any substance that binds to or otherwise affects the opiate receptors on the surface of the cell.

A medication or an illegal drug that is derived from the opium poppy. Opiates are narcotic sedatives that depress activity of the central nervous system, reduce pain, and induce sleep. Codeine, morphine, and heroin are examples of opiates. In contrast, the term opioid is a broader term that originally was used to refer to any substance, natural (such as opiates) or synthetic, that bind to…

Examination of the interior of the eye, including the lens, retina and optic nerve, by indirect or direct ophthalmoscopy. Indirect ophthalmoscopy employs a head lamp device to shine a very bright light into the eye. This is generally done by an ophthalmologist. Direct ophthalmoscopy is in more common usage. The examiner uses a device the size of a flashlight…

A lighted instrument that is used to examine the inside of the eye, including the retina and the optic nerve.

Inflammation of the eye. Also known as ophthalmia.

Pertaining to the eye. For example, an ophthalmic ointment is designed for the eye.

In medicine, a surgical procedure. Many operations are named after persons. They range from A to Z, from the Abbe operation (on the lip) to the Ziegler operation (on the eye).

Glaucoma is a condition of the eye that leads to progressive atrophy of the optic nerve in the presence of an open angle. It is accompanied by changes in the appearance of the optic disc, loss of peripheral vision and has historically been associated with elevated intra-ocular pressure. Open-angle glaucoma is the most common form of glaucoma. It is in contrast to angle-closure glaucoma in…

The process of egg formation. The second “o” in oogenesis is pronounced separately from the first: o?o?gen?e?sis. The word was created from the prefix “oo-” (Greek oon, egg) + “genesis” (the coming into being of something) = the coming into being of the egg (the ovum). Oogenesis is in contrast to spermatogenesis, the process of sperm formation.

A female germ cell in the process of development. The oocyte is produced in the ovary by an ancestral cell called an oogonium and gives rise to the ovum (the egg), which can be fertilized.