Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

The symbol for barium.

Seen on a prescription, b.i.d. means twice (two times) a day. It is an abbreviation for “bis in die” which in Latin means twice a day. The abbreviation b.i.d. is sometimes written without a period either in lower-case letters as “bid” or in capital letters as “BID”. However it is written, it is one of…

Also called Rochalimaea quintana), Bartonella quintana is an unusual rickettsial organism that can multiply within the gut of the body louse and then can be transmitted to humans. Transmission to people can occur by rubbing infected louse feces into abraded (scuffed) skin or into the conjunctivae (whites of the eyes). Bartonella quintana (B. quintana) is…

The protozoan parasite Balantidium coli. A genus of protozoa with cilia that includes Balantidium coli (B. coli). B. coli is the largest protozoan and the only ciliate parasite to infect humans. The disease that B. coli causes is called balantidiasis. Clinical features, when present, include persistent diarrhea, occasionally dysentery, abdominal pain, and weight loss. Symptoms can be severe…

A group of bacteria found in soil and water that are often resistant to common antibiotics. B. cepacia poses little medical risk to healthy people. However, people who have certain health problems such as a weakened immune systems or chronic lung disease, particularly cystic fibrosis (CF), are more susceptible to infection with it. Transmission of B. cepacia…

Short for Borrelia burgdorferi, the cause of Lyme disease. Once the full name of a bacterium has been given, it is customary to refer to it in its short form. For example, “Borrelia burgdorferi…is responsible for Lyme disease, which can lead to debilitating symptoms in humans….Estimates from prior studies of ticks infected with B. burgdorferi in Mendocino County are higher.”…

A 32-amino-acid polypeptide secreted by the ventricles of the heart in response to excessive stretching of heart muscle cells. The levels of B-type natriuretic peptide are elevated in patients with congestive heart failure, and correlate with both the severity of symptoms and the prognosis. Also known as BNP.

Benzo(a)pyrene.

An infectious agent commonly found among macaque monkeys, including rhesus macaques, pig-tailed macaques, and cynomolgus monkeys. Monkeys infected with this virus usually have no or mild symptoms. In humans, however, B virus infection can result in a fatal encephalomyelitis. B virus disease in humans is extremely rare, but often fatal — an estimated 80% of untreated…

A genetic metabolic disorder caused by deficiency of the enzyme hexosaminidase A (hex-A) that results in a failure to process a lipid called GM2 ganglioside that accumulates in the brain and other tissues. Abbreviated TSD. The classic form of TSD begins in infancy. The child usually develops normally for the first few months, but head control is…