Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

Application of a needle or snare heated by an electric current to destroy tissue (e.g., to remove warts). A surgical instrument that uses an electrical current to remove abnormal or diseased tissue or to control bleeding from small blood vessels. Also known as electrocoagulation, the device consists of a platinum wire that becomes white- or…

Device used to record the electrical activity of the heart. The patient is asked to lie down and rest quietly on a table, and electrodes, called leads, are positioned, usually using an adhesive gel, on certain sites on the chest and extremities. The leads detect the electrical impulses of the heart and transmit them to…

Loss of sensation resulting from application of an electric current to the body or to a part. Local or general anesthesia (usually the latter) brought about bypassing an electric current through the tissues. General anesthesia produced by a device that passes electricity of a certain frequency, amplitude, and wave form through the brain.  

Difference in electrical charge between two differently charged bodies. Normally, the inside of heart cells is negatively charged (—90 millivolts) in comparison to the outside. When nerve impulses pass through the heart, the cells become more positive inside due to an influx of sodium and calcium ions, which are positively charged (called depolarization). This change…

Use of electricity to increase the rate of natural repair of damaged tissues (e.g., fractures). Research suggests the electricity may keep die parathyroid hormone (which can destroy bone tissue) from acting on cells at the repair site.  

Burn caused by heat generated by an electric current. Tissue destruction caused by the passage of electrical current through the body, usually as a result of industrial accidents or lightning exposures. Entry and exit wounds are usually present; significant internal organ damage may be found along the path of the current through the body.  

Pertaining to, involving, or caused by electricity. Evidence shows that electric current may guide the development of embryos and the regeneration of tissue, including bone; the sources for this electric current are in dispute.  

Condition in which elastic tissue breaks down. Degeneration of the yellow fibers in connective tissues and skin.  

Dutch physiologist who devised the first electrocardiograph; he was the first to link this recording of the heart’s electrical activity with its mechanical contraction. The original electrocardiogram (EKG, ECG) had three leads, or points of reference, which could be drawn as a triangle (Einthoven’s Triangle).  

Giving off bubbles; charged naturally or artificially with carbon dioxide or other gas. Bubbling; rising in little bubbles of gas.