Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

Also known as Cutis anserina, a temporary local change in the?skin when it becomes rougher due to erection of little muscles, as from?cold, fear, or excitement. The chain of events leading to this skin change starts with a stimulus such as cold or fear. That stimulus causes a nerve discharge from the sympathetic nervous system, a portion of the…

A law designed to protect a Good Samaritan from legal liability. Such laws usually specify that whoever in good faith provides emergency (and sometimes non-emergency) medical services shall not be civilly liable unless their acts constitute wanton misconduct. See also Good Samaritan.

Someone who voluntarily helps someone else who is in distress. The term “Good Samaritan” comes from the parable of the Good Samaritan related in the Book of Luke in the New Testament of the Bible. The parable tells of a Samaritan (a resident of Samaria) who stopped to help a man who had been injured and robbed,…

A bacterial infection that is transmitted by sexual contact. Gonorrhea is one of the oldest known sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and it is caused by the Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacteria. Men with gonorrhea may have a yellowish discharge from the penis accompanied by itching and burning. More than half of women with gonorrhea do not have any symptoms. If symptoms occur, they…

Goitrogenic are foods that can affect thyroid function by inhibiting synthesis of thyroid hormones, resulting in enlargement of the gland (goiter). Goitrogenic foods include Brussel sprouts, kohlrabi, turnips, rutabaga, radishes, cabbage, kale, and cauliflower.

A noncancerous enlargement of the thyroid gland. With a goiter, the levels of thyroid hormones may be normal (euthyroid), elevated (hyperthyroidism), or decreased (hypothyroidism).

The abbreviation gm stands for gram, a unit of measurement of weight and mass in the metric system. In weight, a gram is equal to a thousandth of a kilogram. In mass, a gram is equal to a thousandth of a liter (one cubic centimeter) of water at 4 degrees centigrade. The word “gram” comes from the Late Latin…

Hemoglobin to which glucose is bound. Glycosylated hemoglobin is tested to monitor the long-term control of diabetes mellitus. The level of glycosylated hemoglobin is increased in the red blood cells of persons with poorly controlled diabetes mellitus. Since the glucose stays attached to hemoglobin for the life of the red blood cell (normally about 120 days), the level of glycosylated hemoglobin reflects the…

A molecule that consists of a carbohydrate plus a protein. Glycoproteins play essential roles in the body. For instance, in the immune system almost all of the key molecules involved in the immune response are glycoproteins. A glycopeptide is similar in structure to a glycoprotein but has a shorter chain of amino acids.

Also known as glycosylated hemoglobin, hemoglobin to which glucose is bound, a measure of the long-term control of diabetes mellitus. The level of glycohemoglobin is increased in the red blood cells of persons with poorly controlled diabetes mellitus. Since the glucose stays attached to hemoglobin for the life of the red blood cell (normally about 120 days), the level of glycohemoglobin reflects the average blood glucose level…