Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

Medical shorthand for within normal limits. For example, a laboratory test result may be WNL.

Medical shorthand for white male.

Abnormal physical or psychological features that follow the abrupt discontinuation of a drug that has the capability of producing physical dependence. In example, common opiates withdrawal symptoms include sweating, goosebumps, vomiting, anxiety, insomnia, and muscle pain.

A folk term for the milk that often comes from the breast of a newborn baby. This temporary phenomenon is due to stimulation of the baby’s breasts by the mother’s hormones that cross the placenta during pregnancy. The ability of the baby’s breasts to respond in this fashion is a mark of baby born at…

Popular and familiar term for the scapula, the flat triangular bone at the back of the shoulder. The word “scapula” (with the accent on the first syllable) is a steal straight from the Latin. The Romans always employed the plural “scapulae”, the shoulder blades. Because the shoulder blade resembles the blade of a trowel (a small shovel),…

The subagency of the United Nations (UN) that is concerned with international health. Abbreviated WHO. Also known as Organisation Mondiale de la Sant’ (OMS).

The part of the brain that contains myelinated nerve fibers. The white matter is white because it is the color of myelin, the insulation that covers nerve fibers.

The number of white blood cells (WBCs) in the blood. The WBC is usually measured as part of the CBC (complete blood count). White blood cells are the infection-fighting cells in the blood and are distinct from the red (oxygen-carrying) blood cells known as erythrocytes. There are different types of white blood cells, including neutrophils (polymorphonuclear leukocytes; PMNs),…

One of the cells the body makes to help fight infections. There are several types of white blood cells (leukocytes). The two most common types are the lymphocytes and neutrophils (also called polymorphonuclear leukocytes, PMNs, or “polys”). Lymphocytes are made in lymphoid tissue in the spleen, lymph nodes, and thymus gland. There are different kinds of lymphocytes. Lymphocytes identify foreign…

A nematode (roundworm), also called Trichuris trichiura, that is the third most common roundworm in humans. The whipworm is found worldwide, and whipworm infections are most frequent among children and in areas with tropical weather and poor sanitation practices. Infection with whipworm most often occurs without symptoms. Heavy infections, especially in small children, can cause gastrointestinal problems (such as…