Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

1. Showing discordance, lack of agreement. A couple may be discordant for a sexually transmitted infection, with one partner having it and the other not. 2. In transplantation genetics, between different species. A discordant xenograft is a transplant between members of very different species.

1. The presence of any given condition such as HIV in only one member of a couple. 2. In genetics, the presence of a phenotype such as asthma in only one members of a twin pair. 3. In clinical care, lack of agreement between physician and patient.In all sense, disconcordance is as opposed to concordance. From dis- + the Latin concordare, to agree = not to agree.

A chronic inflammatory condition that is limited to the skin and is caused by an autoimmune disease. Up to 10 percent of persons with discoid lupus eventually develop systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Heredity, viruses, ultraviolet light, and drugs may

1.The flow of fluid from part of the body, such as from the nose or vagina.2. The passing of an action potential, such as through a nerve or muscle fiber.3. The release of a patient from a course of care. The doctor may then dictate a discharge summary.

Shortened terminology for an intervertebral disc, a disk-shaped piece of specialized tissue that separates the bones of the spinal column. The center of a disc, called the nucleus, is soft, springy and receives the shock of standing, walking, running, etc. The outer ring of the disc, called the annulus (Latin for ring), provides structure and strength to the disc. The annulus…

Excessive thirst; overwhelming desire for water or another liquid. Dipsosis may occur when the amount of water in the body falls below normal. Any activity that causes perspiration can deplete the body’s water supply and trigger dipsosis. So can fever, anxiety, sunburn and heat exhaustion. Other causes of water loss and dipsosis include the following: Diabetes: In diabetes, excessive…

An abnormal and persistent fear of drinking alcohol. Sufferers of dipsophobia experience undue anxiety about addiction to alcohol and the effect this addiction can have on their body. (However, their abstinence from alcohol certainly should not be criticized.) “Dipsophobia” is derived from the Greek “dipsa” (thirst) and “phobos” (fear). “Dipsa” is also used to form the words “dipsomania” (an abnormal…

Two-faced conjoined twins (incompletely separated identical twins). The twins have almost complete fusion of their bodies with one set of limbs. Part or all of the face is duplicated. The condition usually results in stillbirth. The ancient two-faced Mexican figurines known as the “pretty ladies of Tlatilco” are now thought to represent diprosopus. It is believed…

A person in whom there is the normal nocturnal fall (dip) in blood pressure. The opposite of a dipper is a nondipper.

A condition in which a single object appears as two objects. Also known as double vision.