Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

Having to do with sound or hearing. The acoustic nerve (the 8th cranial nerve) is concerned with hearing and the sense of balance and head position. An acoustic neuroma is a benign tumor on the acoustic nerve.

Combining form relating to hearing. As in acoustic, otoacoustic emission test, and presbyacousia.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists is an organization concerned with the quality of OB/Gyn practice in the U.S.

The common form of acne, in teens and young adults, that is due to overactivity of the oil (sebaceous) glands in the skin that become plugged and inflamed. Acne typically develops when the oil glands come to life around puberty and are stimulated by male hormones that are produced in the adrenal glands of both boys and girls. Treatments include keeping the…

A chronic skin disease that causes persistent redness over the areas of the face and nose that normally blush: mainly the forehead, the chin, and the lower half of the nose. The tiny blood vessels in these areas enlarge (dilate) and become more visible through the skin, appearing like tiny red lines (telangiectasias). Pimples that look like…

Localized skin inflammation as a result of overactivity of the oil glands at the base of specialized hair follicles. Acne happens when oil (sebaceous) glands come to life around puberty, when these glands are stimulated by male hormones that are produced in the adrenal glands of both boys and girls. The oil glands, which are located just beneath the skin,…

A knee injury involving the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The ACL runs diagonally deep inside the knee from the center of rotation of the end of the femur (the thigh bone) to the top of the tibia (the larger bone in the lower leg). Females are seven times more likely to suffer an ACL injury than their…

Anterior cruciate ligament.

The ending of a tiny airway in the lung, where the alveoli (air sacs) are located. In anatomy, an acinus is a round cluster of cells, usually epithelial cells, that looks somewhat like a knobby berry. The word “acinus” means “berry” in Latin. (The plural is “acini”.) There are also acini, round clusters of epithelial cells, in…

(Pronounced AH-sin-neto-bacter). A group of bacteria found in soil, water, and hospitals where they can cause serious infections in immunocompromised people and are often resistant to antibiotics. Acinetobacter can be isolated from many sources including drinking and surface water, soil, sewage and different types of foods. At least a quarter of healthy people carry Acinetobacter…