Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

Inflammation of the bladder. Cystitis can be due for example to infection from bacteria that ascend the urethra (the canal from the outside) to the bladder. Symptoms include a frequent need to urinate, often accompanied by a burning sensation. As cystitis progresses, blood may be observed in the urine and the patient may suffer cramps after urination. In young children,…

A common grave genetic disease that affects the exocrine glands and is characterized by the production of abnormal secretions, leading to mucus buildup that impairs the pancreas and, secondarily, the intestine. Mucus buildup in lungs can impair respiration. Abbreviated CF. Without treatment, CF results in death for 95 percent of affected children before age 5; however, a few long-lived CF patients have survived…

Brand name for duloxetine hydrochloride, a drug approved by the FDA to treat major depresssion in adults and to manage the pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy, nerve damage in diabetes. The drug acts as a serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, increasing the levels of serotonin and norepinephrine, two neurotransmitters, or chemical messengers, believed to be important in regulating a person’s…

A common freshwater crustacean. Some species of Cyclops serve as hosts for parasites such as the guinea worm, the cause of dracunculiasis (guinea worm disease). The Cyclops were one-eyed giants of Greek mythology, a mythical race of lawless giant shepherds who lived in Sicily. They had a single large round eye in the center of the forehead.…

Cyclooxygenase-2, an enzyme that acts to speed up the production of certain chemical messengers, called prostaglandins that play a key role in in promoting inflammation. When cox-2 activity is blocked, inflammation is reduced. Unlike cox-1, cox-2 is active only at the site of inflammation, not in the stomach.

A circular peptide containing the amino acid citrulline. Abbreviated CCP. Autoantibodies directed against CCP are found in people with rheumatoid arthritis.

Showing cyanosis (bluish discoloration of the skin and mucous membranes due to not enough oxygen in the blood).

A bluish color of the skin and the mucous membranes due to insufficient oxygen in the blood. For example, the lips can develop cynanosis when exposed to extreme cold. Cyanosis can be present at birth, as in a ‘blue baby,’ an infant with a malformation of the heart that permits into the arterial system blood that is not fully oxygenated.

Poisoning with cyanide, a rapidly acting, potentially deadly chemical that can exist as a colorless gas, such as hydrogen cyanide (HCN) or cyanogen chloride (CNCl), or a crystal form such as sodium cyanide (NaCN) or potassium cyanide (KCN). Cyanide sometimes is described as having a “bitter almond” smell, but it does not always give off an odor, and not everyone…