Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Arthritis
Inflammation of the joints of the body. Either osteoarthritis (a degenerative bone disease involving loss and calcification of joint cartilage, so that the bones formerly cushioned by gristle now grind together, are painful, and become inflamed) or rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic and increasingly worsening inflammation of the joints from an unknown cause (believed to be…
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Arthralgia
Is pain in the joints from many possible causes. Pain in one or more of the joints. Pain experienced in a joint as a symptom of a disease or condition. Arthralgia is the medical term used when there is pain in a joint with no signs of localized inflammation or arthritis. Arthritis refers to a…
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Arteriosclerosis
Imprecise term for various disorders of arteries, particularly hardening due to fibrosis or calcium deposition, often used as a synonym for atherosclerosis. Condition of blood vessels that have thickened, hardened, lost their elasticity due to age or the buildup of fatty plaques along the vessel walls. An arterial disease in which the blood vessel walls…
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Arsenism
An incommunicable disease resulting from the ingestion of ground water containing unsafe levels of arsenic, also known as arsenicosis.
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Arrhythmias
Abnormal heart rhythms that can cause the heart to pump less effectively. Also called dysrhythmias. An abnormal or irregular rhythm, usually in reference to the heart. Irregularities in the force or rhythm of heart action caused by disturbances in the discharge of cardiac impulses from the heart’s sinoatrial node or their transmission through the heart’s…
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Aromatherapy
A form of alternative medicine that uses volatile liquid plant materials, such as essential oils and other scented compounds from plants for the purpose of affecting a person’s mood or health. A practice that uses a plant’s aromatic (volatile) chemicals that are present in essential oils, for improving mental well-being. Since most of the active…
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Aromatic
Having a pleasant, fragrant odour. Characteristic of herbs that have a strong, usually pleasant· smell. Aromatic almost always refers to plants with volatile oils, usually ones that uplift the spirit, provide antibacterial action, or calm the nerves. Chemically, molecules containing one or more benzene rings, but in our usage, plant compounds which, upon contact to…
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Aromatase
An enzyme involved in the production of estrogen that acts by catalyzing the conversion of testosterone (an androgen) to estradiol (an estrogen). Aromatase is located in estrogen-producing cells in the adrenal glands, ovaries, placenta, testicles, adipose (fat) tissue, and brain.
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Ariboflavinosis
A condition caused by the dietary deficiency of riboflavin that is characterized by mouth lesions, seborrhea, and vascularization. Deficiency of riboflavin (vitamin B2). A condition caused by a lack of riboflavin characterized by cracking of the comers of the mouth, sore skin, and bloodshot eyes. A condition caused by not having enough vitamin B2. The…
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Arachidonate cascade
Includes the cyclooxygenase (COX) pathway to form prostanoids and the lipoxygenase (LOX) pathway to generate several oxygenated fatty acids, collectively called eicosanoids.
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