Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

An ear that is slanted more than usual. Technically, an ear is slanted when the angle of the slope of the auricle is more than 15 degrees from the perpendicular. Considered a minor anomaly. The presence of 2 or more minor anomalies in a child increases the probability that the child has a major malformation.

The skull is a collection of bones which encase the brain and give form to the head and face. The bones of the skull include the following: the frontal, parietal, occipital, temporal, sphenoid, ethmoid, zygomatic, maxilla, nasal, vomer, palatine, inferior concha, and mandible. The early English word “skulle” came from the Nordic words “skal” and “skul” meaning a bowl. It is also…

A graft technique in which a piece of skin from a nearby area remains attached at one of its corners, while the main part of the piece is reattached over the area that needs to be covered.

Skin erosion is a loss of some or all of the epidermis (the outer layer) leaving a denuded surface. Erosion is an eating away of a surface. The word “erosion” comes from the Latin “erodere” meaning to eat out.

The color of skin which is complexly determined. Skin color depends on many factors including reddening caused by inflammation, the hemoglobin level in the blood, and the darkening caused by increased deposition of the pigment melanin. Melanin itself is a polymer that comes in two types — a red-yellow form known as pheomelanin and a black-brown form known…

The body’s outer covering, which protects against heat and light, injury, and infection. Skin regulates body temperature and stores water, fat, and vitamin D. The skin, which weighs about 6 pounds, is the body’s largest organ. It is made up of two main layers: the epidermis and the dermis. The outer layer of the skin (epidermis) is mostly…

The human body has 206 bones. These consist of 80 axial (head and trunk) bones and 126 appendicular (upper and lower extremity) bones. Axial bones: The 80 axial bones comprise 29 bones in the head and 51 bones in the trunk. Head bones: The 29 head bones consist of 8 cranial bones, 14 facial bones, the hyoid bone,…

Along with smooth and cardiac muscle, one of the types of muscle tissue in the body. Skeletal muscle represents the majority of muscle tissue. It is the type of muscle that powers movement of the skeleton, as in walking and lifting.

The presence of an extra sixth finger or toe, a very common congenital malformation (birth defect). This condition is called hexadactyly. The word hexadactyly literally means six digits. In medical usage, hexadactyly does not specify whether the six digits are fingers or toes (although in Greek “dactylos” is without equivocation a finger). The 6th digit can be located…

The temporary loss of consciousness in a particular kind of situation. The situations that trigger this reaction are diverse, and include having blood drawn, straining while urinating or defecating, and coughing. It can also be due to the emotional stress, fear, or pain. When experiencing the trigger condition, the person often becomes pale and feels nauseated, sweaty, and weak just…