Mohs

Mohs may refer to a surname as well as to two scientific terms named after people: the Mohs scale of mineral hardness and Mohs micrographic surgery.

Friedrich Mohs, a German mineralogist, proposed the Mohs scale in 1812. The scale ranks minerals by their ability to scratch or be scratched by ten reference minerals, from 1 (talc) to 10 (diamond). It provides a simple, relative measure of hardness widely used in mineralogy and geology, but it is not an absolute or instrument-based measurement.

Mohs micrographic surgery, named after Dr. Frederic E. Mohs, is a precise technique for removing skin cancers. The procedure involves removing the tumor in thin layers and examining each layer's entire surgical margin under a microscope, with the tissue mapped to identify any residual cancer. If cancer is detected, additional targeted tissue is removed in the exact area indicated, and the process repeats until margins are cancer-free. Mohs surgery is especially valued for cancers in cosmetically sensitive areas, such as the face, because it maximizes tissue conservation while maintaining high cure rates.