Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

An infusion tube located in or near the heart, which is at the center of the circulatory system. For example, a Swan-Ganz catheter with its tip in the right atrium and ventricle of the heart is a central line.

At or near the center. In anatomy and medicine (as elsewhere), central is the opposite of “peripheral” which means away from the center. The word “peripheral” comes from the Greek “peripheria” (“peri-“, around or about + “pherein”, to bear, carry). A central line is an infusion tube that is located in or near the heart (centrally in the circulatory system).…

A unit of measure in the metric system which is 1/100’th of a meter. There are 2.54 centimeters (cms) in one inch. The centimeter is commonly used in medicine to state the size of objects or distance between points. It may seem senseless to define a centimeter in a medical dictionary but in North American medicine (and…

A spreading bacterial infection underneath the skin surface characterized by redness, warmth, swelling, and pain. Cellulitis commonly appears in areas where there is a break in the skin.

The basic structural and functional unit of any living thing. Each cell is a small container of chemicals and water wrapped in a membrane. There are 100 trillion cells in a human, and each contains all of the genetic information necessary to manufacture a human being. This information is encoded within the cell nucleus in 6 billion…

A disorder resulting from an immune reaction to gluten, a protein found in wheat and related grains, and present in many foods. Celiac disease causes impaired absorption and digestion of nutrients through the small intestine. Symptoms include frequent diarrhea , weight loss , iron deficiency anemia, osteoporosis . A skin condition dermatitis herpetiformis can be associated with celiac disease. The most accurate test…

The first portion of the large bowel, which is situated in the lower-right quadrant of the abdomen. The cecum receives fecal material from the small bowel (ileum), which opens into it. The appendix is attached to the cecum.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US agency charged with tracking and investigating public health trends. A part of the US Public Health Services (PHS) under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the CDC is based in Atlanta, Georgia. It publishes key health information, including weekly data on all deaths and diseases reported…

Cyclic citrullinated peptide.

A genetic (inherited) disorder of bone development characterized by: The disorder is transmitted in an autosomal dominant manner. A parent with the condition has a 50:50 chance that each of their children will have the condition. Boys and girls stand an equal chance of being affected. The gene for the condition has been found on chromosome 6…