Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

Antecubital Fossa Definition The antecubital fossa, or simply elbow pit, is the small triangular depression in the arm which is formed by the connection of the humerus with the radius and ulna of the forearm. A fossa, in anatomical terms, is from the Latin word meaning small ditch or groove. The numerous muscles and tendons that surround the muscles, as well as…

Many animals have a closed circulatory system, where the blood is maintained in vessels and pumped by a heart. Some organisms, such as many mollusks, have an open system, where the blood washes over and around tissues. Animals with a closed circulatory system tend to have higher blood pressure. The blood is also able to…

Definition Animal cells are the basic unit of life in organisms of the kingdom Animalia. They are eukaryotic cells, meaning that they have a true nucleus and specialized structures called organelles that carry out different functions. Animal cells do not have plant-specific organelles like cell walls, which support the plant cell, or chloroplasts, the organelle…

Angiosperm Definition Angiosperms are a major division of plant life, which make up the majority of all plants on Earth. Angiosperm plants produce seeds encased in “fruits,” which include the fruits that you eat, but which also includes plants you might not think of as fruits, such as maple seeds, acorns, beans, wheat, rice, and…

Anatomy Definition Anatomy is the branch of biology which studies how various parts of an organism are connected, and how they are related to other body parts both spatially and functionally. Anatomy has many sub-disciplines, and is used in many different fields. In general, there are two main types of anatomy: gross or macroscopic anatomy, and microscopic anatomy. However,…

Anatomical Position Definition Standard anatomical position is a way of describing the anatomy of an organism so that it is easy to understand what part of the body is being talked about no matter what direction the organism is facing or where its appendages/limbs are. In humans, standard anatomical position is defined as standing up…

Anaplasia Definition Anaplasia is a term used to describe cells that have lost the unique characteristics that define them as a certain tissue type. In a literal sense from its Greek roots, the word means “to form backwards” in the sense that normal cells become more specialized, not less so, with each division. Anaplasia can…

Definition Anaphase I is the third stage of meiosis I and follows prophase I and metaphase I. This stage is characterized by the movement of chromosomes to both poles of a meiotic cell via a microtubule network known as the spindle apparatus. This mechanism separates homologous chromosomes into two separate groups. In anaphase I, the…

Anaphase Definition Anaphase is a stage during eukaryotic cell division in which the chromosomes are segregated to opposite poles of the cell. The stage before anaphase, metaphase, the chromosomes are pulled to the metaphase plate, in the middle of the cell. Although the chromosomes were heavily condensed in the start of cell division, they continue to…

Definition Analogous structures are similar structures that evolved independently in two living organisms to serve the same purpose. The term “analogous structures” comes from the root word “analogy,” which is a device in the English language where two different things on a basis of their similarities. Analogous structures are examples of convergent evolution, where two…