Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

Prefix meaning new. From the Greek “neos”, new, young, fresh, recent. Examples of terms starting with “neo-” include neonatal and neonate (the newborn), neoplasia and neoplasm (new growth = tumor), etc. The opposite of neo- is paleo-. Although paleo- does enter occasionally into medical usage, it is far less commonly encountered than neo- in medicine (and on the pharmacy shelves where there is…

Also known as an antisense-strand RNA virus, a virus whose genetic information consists of a single strand of RNA that is the negative or antisense strand which does not encode mRNA (messenger RNA). Examples of negative-strand RNA viruses include influenza virus, measles viruses, and rabies virus. There are two types of RNA viruses. Some are positive in that they have a “sense”…

The Negative calorie diet is a weight loss concept based upon the premise that consumption of foods with a “negative caloric effect” (meaning that the calories burned by chewing, digesting, and eliminating the food are greater than those contained in the food itself) will lead to rapid weight loss of up to two pounds per day. Even…

A penetrating stab wound from a needle (or other sharp object) that may result in exposure to blood or other body fluids. The main concern is exposure to the blood or other body fluids of another person who may be carrying infectious disease. The pathogens of primary concern are the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV)…

This is a rare complication of bacterial pneumonia (lung infection by bacteria) in which tissue death (necrosis) begins to occur in the lung. Necrosis is the word for cellular or tissue death due to lack of oxygen. In necrotizing pneumonia, there is a reduction in the vascular supply to the lungs, leading to areas of cellular death. The lack of blood supply due to damaged…

The death of living cells or tissues. Necrosis can be due, for example, to ischemia (lack of blood flow). From the Greek “nekros” (dead body).

A postmortem examination or autopsy. Necropsies have been done for more than 2,000 years, but during most of this time they were rarely done, most often for legal purposes. The Roman physician Antistius performed one of the earliest necropsies on record. In 44 B.C., he examined Julius Caesar and documented 23 wounds, including a final…

Also called torticollis or spasmodic torticollis, this is the most common of the focal dystonias: a state of abnormal — either excessive of inadequate — muscle tone. In this disorder, the muscles in the neck that control the position of the head are affected, causing the head to twist and turn to one side. In addition, the…

Neck pain is the sensation of discomfort in the neck area. Neck pain can result from disorders of any of the structures in the neck, including the cervical vertebrae and intervertebral discs, nerves, muscles, blood vessels, esophagus, larynx, trachea, lymphatic organs, thyroid gland, or parathyroid glands. Neck pain arises from numerous different conditions and is sometimes referred to as cervical pain or cervicalgia.

The part of the body joining the head to the shoulders. Also, any narrow or constricted part of a bone or organ that joins its parts as, for example, the neck of the femur bone.