Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

Also called nocardiosis, infection with bacteria called Nocardia which tend to strike the lungs, brain and skin, particularly in people with an impaired immune system. The majority (about 80%) of cases of nocardiosis involves lung infection, brain abscess, or disseminated (widespread) disease from Nocardia. The remaining 20% of cases are localized to the skin and cause cellulitis (skin infection). The…

Nuclear magnetic resonance, an imaging technique that does not use radiation, but instead employs large magnetic forces to produce detailed images of body tissues.

A group of cancer drugs called alkylating agents because they act by the process of alkylation to inhibit DNA repair. The nitrosoureas can cross the blood-brain barrier and are used to treat brain tumors. The nitrosoureas include carmustine (BCNU), lomustine (CCNU) and semustine.

A molecule that contains nitrogen and has the chemical properties of a base. The nitrogenous bases in DNA are adenine (A), guanine (G), thymine (T), and cytosine (C). The nitrogenous bases in RNA are the same, with one exception: adenine (A), guanine (G), uracil (U), and cytosine (C).

Nits are lice eggs. They are hard to see and are often confused with dandruff or hair spray droplets. Nits are found firmly attached to the hair shaft. They are oval and usually yellow to white. Nits take about a week to hatch. All nits must be removed to prevent reinfestation with lice. They can…

The spontaneous flow of fluid from the nipple at any time other than during nursing. This can be due to an unrecognized pregnancy, trauma, surgery, overexercise, or certain drugs. It can also be due to cirrhosis of the liver, false pregnancy (pseudocyesis), kidney failure, disorders of the spinal cord, or a prolactinoma, a benign pituitary tumor that secretes the hormone prolactin stimulating milk production. Also called galactorrhea.…

The pigmented projection on the surface of the chest in the male and the breast in the female. In the mature female, ducts that conduct milk from the mammary glands to the surface of the breast exit through the nipple. The surrounding flat area of pigmentation is the areola.

A form of kidney disease preferably called minimal change disease.

Severe hot flashes that occur at night and result in a drenching sweat. Night sweats can have many different causes, including medications, infections, and cancers.

Impaired vision in dim light and in the dark, due to impaired function of specific vision cells (namely, the rods) in the retina. The ability of our eyes to quickly view objects as they shift from light to dark areas and the ability to see in dim light or at night is an important part of…