Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

Diseases may affect the ear alone or as part of a more generalised condition. The disease may affect the outer, middle or inner ear or a combination of these.  

Dilatation of the duodenum due to its chronic obstruction, caused by an abnormal position of arteries in the region of the duodenum pressing on it.  

Drugs should be avoided during pregnancy unless essential because of possible adverse effect on the fetus. Drugs may pass through the placenta and cause harm, as the enzyme systems responsible for their degradation are undeveloped in the fetus. While many drugs are harmless, examples of problems include warfarin, which may induce fetal and placental haemorrhage,…

A process by which the body destroys and excretes drugs, so limiting their duration of action. Phase 1 metabolism consists of transformation by oxidation, reduction, or hydrolysis. In phase 2 this transformed product is conjugated (joined up) with another molecule to produce a water-soluble product which is easier to excrete.  

The volume of blood from which a drug is completely removed in one minute is known as clearance. Renal clearance of a drug is the amount of blood completely cleared of the drug by the kidney in one minute. The process of removing a substance from the body, often accomplished by excreting it through the…

The process of attachment of a drug to a receptor or plasma protein, fat, mucopolysaccharide or other tissue component. This process may be reversible or irreversible.  

Also known as ‘date rape’, this is an unpleasant phenomenon in which an intending rapist undermines his potential victim’s resistance by giving her a hypnotic drug. The British National Formulary warns that flunitrazepam (Rohypnol) tablets may be particularly subject to abuse, perhaps given to the unsuspecting victim in an alcoholic drink so the sedative effect…

Drugs must pass across cell membranes to reach their site of action. For example, drugs given by mouth must pass across the gut membrane to enter the bloodstream and then pass through the endothelium (lining cells) of vessel walls to reach the site of action in the tissues. This process is called absorption and may…

Another term for sickle-cell anaemia, which is characterized by the presence in the blood of red blood corpuscles that are sickle-like in shape. The anaemia is a severe one and afflicts people of African descent and to a lesser extent people of Mediterranean background.  

An antitumour drug used in the treatment of acute leukaemia, lymphoma, and various forms of sarcoma and cancer, including cancer of the bladder. A medication used to combat cancer, typically administered via an injection, frequently in conjunction with other cancer-fighting drugs. It’s employed in the therapy of numerous types of cancer, including those found in…