Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

A cereal grain; used in both human and animal foods. Sorghum is a cereal grain that is similar to corn and grows in tropical regions. It is used to make a thick, sweet, dark-amber syrup that is derived from its juice.  

The amount of solutes on one side of a membrane. Usually refers to the filtering function of the convoluted tubule in the kidney.  

Therapeutic diet characterized by soft foods and liquids; the diet is typically reduced in fiber and residue. Diet containing low- residue, easily digested soft foods, such as milk, cheese, custards, strained vegetables, potatoes, rice, breads, and ground meats; advised for those with acute infections or intestinal disorders. A diet consisting of nothing but soft or…

An additive involved in idiosyncratic food intolerance reactions. This preservative is used in foods such as lemonades, margarine, jam, ice cream, fish, sausages, and dressings. Sometimes it is also added to flavorings. Benzoates can elicit asthmatic attacks in asthma patients. Furthermore, they may play a role in patients with urticaria. A white, odorless powder with…

Acronym for subjective data, objective information, assessment, and plan; a method of organizing information to be written in a medical record. Subjective data provides pertinent information obtained from the client, objective information includes relevant verifiable facts, assessment is the interpretation of the problems and related facts, and the plan indicates what actions are to be…

A baby whose birth weight is small even though the baby has not been born prematurely.  

Short interspersed repeat sequences.  

A fat substitute derived from egg or milk proteins. It cannot be used in cooked or baked products because it breaks down easily.  

Combination of substances with common sites of main action and no interaction between the components. The action can be additive. An example is the combined toxic action of mixtures of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans, and polychlorinated biphenyls (particularly congeners with planar structures) occurring in, for example, mother’s milk. The effects of these substances have been…

The end product observed when a specific sequence of DNA or RNA is detected by autoradiography or by some other method. Hybridization with complimentary radioactive polynucleotide (e.g., by southern or northern blotting) is commonly used to generate the signal. This term also applies to the transmission of intracellular reactions as in signal transduction or signal…