Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

A biological fluid. Biofluids can be excreted (such as urine or sweat), secreted (such as breast milk or bile), obtained with a needle (such as blood or cerebrospinal fluid), or develop as a result of a pathological process (such as (such as blister or cyst fluid). The term biofluid is employed as both a noun (as in the aforementionned biofluids) and…

An aggregate of microbes with a distinct architecture. A biofilm is like a tiny city in which microbial cells, each only a micrometer or two long, form towers that can be hundreds of micrometers high. The “streets” between the towers are really fluid-filled channels that bring in nutrients, oxygen and other necessities for live biofilm…

A method of treatment that uses a monitor to measure patients’ physiologic information of which they are normally unaware. By watching a monitor, patients can learn by trial and error to adjust their thinking and other mental processes in order to control ‘involuntary’ bodily processes such as blood pressure, temperature, gastrointestinal functioning, and brain wave activity.…

A seemingly simple method for determining the lean body mass. Abbreviated BIA. There are two methods of the BIA. One involves standing on a special scale with footpads. A harmless amount of electrical current is sent through the body, and then the percentage of body fat is calculated. The other type of BIA involves electrodes…

The chemistry of biology, the application of the tools and concepts of chemistry to living systems. Biochemists study such things as the structures and physical properties of biological molecules, including proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids; the mechanisms of enzyme action; the chemical regulation of metabolism; the chemistry of nutrition; the molecular basis of genetics (inheritance); the…

The inability of aspirin to produce an anticipated effect on one or more tests of platelet function, such as inhibiting the biosynthesis of thromboxane, inhibiting platelet aggregation, and causing a prolongation of the bleeding time. The rationale for this testing is the concern as to whether aspirin therapy can in a given patient help prevent…

Relating to biochemistry, the application of the tools and concepts of chemistry to living systems. Biochemists study such things as the structures and physical properties of biological molecules, including proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids; the mechanisms of enzyme action; the chemical regulation of metabolism; the chemistry of nutrition; the molecular basis of genetics (inheritance); the chemistry…

The use of a range of biological techniques on archaeological material in order to learn more about past populations. In bioarchaeology, one might isolate and amplify DNA from very old bones such as from the frozen body of the 9,000-year-old Ice Man who was found in the Italian Alps. From bio- (living) + archaeology (the…

Having an effect upon a living organism, tissue, or cell. Biologically active. Antibiotic, enzymes, and vitamins are all bioactive substances.

Prefix indicating living plants or creatures, as in biology (the study of living organisms).