Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

1. an exacerbation of a chronic disease. Sometimes referred to as a flare-up, a flare occurs when symptoms of a disease that has been present for a time suddenly worsen. A flare is a transient worsening in severity of a disease or condition that eventually subsides or lessens. For example, in many arthritis conditions the joints can flare…

A gene that helps make a leukotriene, a signal that activates the white blood cells involved in inflammation. FLAP stands for 5-lipoxygenase-activating protein. FLAP has been implicated in a number of inflammatory responses, including asthma, arthritis, psoriasis, heart attack and stroke. FLAP was the first gene discovered to be a major risk factor for the common form of heart attack and the second major genetic factor…

Flank: a term used to describe the part of the body in humans on the side between the ribs and hip. The term flank is also used to describe the side part of an animal’s body.

A medium such as a solution or spray that preserves specimens of tissues or cells. Most biopsies and specimens removed at surgery are fixed in a solution such as formalin (dilute formaldehyde) before further processing takes place. Other common ingredients used in fixatives are alcohol, mercuric chloride, potassium dichromate and sodium sulfate. “Fixative” is derived from the Latin “figere”…

A surgical procedure that stabilizes and joins the ends of fractured (broken) bones by mechanical devices such as metal plates, pins, rods, wires or screws. Internal fixation is as opposed to external fixation of a fracture by a splint or cast.

An opening in the skin near the anus that leads into a blind pouch or may connect through a tunnel with the rectal canal.

An abnormal passageway in the body. The fistula may go from the body surface into a blind pouch or into an internal organ or go between two internal organs.?For a common example, an anal fistula has an opening in the skin near the?anus?that leads into a blind pouch or may connect through a tunnel with the?rectal?canal.?For a rare example,…

A cleft or groove. A fissure can be normal or abnormal. A fissure in the cerebral cortex is a normal feature. It is a deep fold that involves the entire thickness of the brain wall. A fissure in the anus is abnormal. It is a painful crack in the edge of the anus and is very painful. Also called an anal…

Fluorescence in situ hybridization, a molecular cytogenetic technique that tags genetic material with fluorescent molecules. FISH is useful for identifying chromosomes and parts of chromosomes, deciphering chromosome rearrangements, detecting chromosome abnormalities, and detecting and mapping genes. For example, a FISH probe to chromosome 21 allows the detection of cells with trisomy 21 (an extra chromosome 21, which is the cause of Down syndrome).

A fingernail is produced by living skin cells in the finger. A fingernail consists of several parts including the nail plate (the visible part of the nail), the nail bed (the skin beneath the nail plate), the cuticle (the tissue that overlaps the plate and rims the base of the nail), the nail folds (the skin folds…