Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

A microorganism that is smaller than a bacterium that cannot grow or reproduce apart from a living cell. A virus invades living cells and uses their chemical machinery to keep itself alive and to replicate itself. It may reproduce with fidelity or with errors (mutations); this ability to mutate is responsible for the ability of…

The ability of an agent of infection to produce disease. The virulence of a microorganism is a measure of the severity of the disease it causes.

To cause a female to develop male characteristics such as a deepened voice, an increase in body and facial hair, a decrease in breast size, an enlargement of the clitoris, and “male-pattern” baldness. Background Males produce hormones called androgens that cause them to develop typically male characteristics such as hair on the face and chest, muscular arms and legs, and…

A thin membrane which completely or partially occludes the vaginal opening. This fold of mucous membrane is usually present at birth at the orifice of the vagina. In medicine, it is called the vaginal membrane or the hymen. Hymen is a Greek word meaning “skin” or “membrane.” The ancient Greeks applied the word “hymen” to all kinds of membranes including, for example,…

Infection caused by the presence of a virus in the body. Depending on the virus and the person’s state of health, various viruses can infect almost any type of body tissue, from the brain to the skin. Viral infections cannot be treated with typical antibiotics (antibacterial antibiotics); in fact, in some cases the use of antibacterial antibiotics may…

Of or pertaining to a virus. For example, if a person has a viral rash, the rash was caused by a virus.

This is trench mouth, a progressive painful infection with ulceration, swelling and sloughing off of dead tissue from the mouth and throat due to the spread of infection from the gums. Certain germs (including fusiform bacteria and spirochetes) have been thought to be involved, but the full story behind this long- known disease is still not clear. This…

This is trench mouth, a progressive painful infection with ulceration, swelling and sloughing off of dead tissue from the mouth and throat due to the spread of infection from the gums. Certain germs (including fusiform bacteria and spirochetes) have been thought to be involved, but the full story behind this long- known disease is still not clear. This…

This is trench mouth, a progressive painful infection with ulceration, swelling and sloughing off of dead tissue from the mouth and throat due to the spread of infection from the gums. Certain germs (including fusiform bacteria and spirochetes) are thought to be involved. Vincent’s angina is best treated with the antibiotic penicillin. This condition is also called Vincent (or Vincent’s) angina after…

Capable of life. For example, a viable premature baby is one who is able to survive outside the womb.