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• General Medicine Terms

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• Abdomen

Area between the chest and the hips that contains the stomach, small intestine, large intestine, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, and spleen.



• Abdominal bracing

Technique of tensing the stomach muscles to support the spine.



• Abdominal hysterectomy

The uterus is removed through the abdomen via a surgical incision.



• Abdominoscopy

A type of surgery that uses a laparoscope, which is inserted into one or more small incisions, to examine the abdominal cavity. (See also endoscopy, laparoscopy, or minimally invasive surgery.)



• Ablation

Elimination or removal.



• Ablative therapy

Treatment that removes or destroys the function of an organ, as in surgical removal of the ovaries or the administration of some types of chemotherapy that causes the ovaries to stop functioning.



• Absorption

The way substances pass into tissue as nutrients from food move from the small intestine into the cells of the body.



• Abutment teeth

The surrounding teeth of each side of the gap where teeth are missing.



• Accessory digestive organs

Organs that help with digestion but are not part of the digestive tract. These organs include the tongue, glands in the mouth that make saliva, pancreas, liver, and gallbladder.



• Accessory movement

Joint movements that cannot be performed voluntarily or in isolation by the patient.



• Accommodation

The ability of the eye to focus.



• Acetylcholine

A chemical in the brain that acts as a neurotransmitter by sending nerve signals.



• Acquired deafness

Loss of hearing that occurs or develops over the course of a lifetime; deafness not present at birth.



• Acquired mutations

Gene changes that arise within individual cells and accumulate throughout a person's lifetime; also called somatic mutations. (See hereditary mutation.)



• Action tremor

A tremor that increases when the hand is moving voluntarily.



• Activated charcoal

An over the counter product that may help relieve intestinal gas.



• Activities of daily living (ADLS)

Personal care activities necessary for everyday living, such as eating, bathing, grooming, dressing, and toileting; a term often used by healthcare professionals to assess the need and/or type of care a person may require.



• Acute Phase

A short, sharp, and relatively severe course of a disease; not chronic.



• ADAP

A personality disorder manifested by extreme aversion to food, usually occurring in young women.



• Addison's Disease

A disease marked by the atrophy or destruction of the adrenal cortex. Most cases of Addison's disease appear to involve an autoimmune process.



• Adenine

A nitrogenous base, one member of the base pair A-T (adenine-thymine).



• Adenocarcinoma

A cancer that develops in the lining or inner surface of an organ.



• Adenoma

Benign growth starting in the glandular tissue. (See also fibroadenoma.)



• Adjuvant treatment

Treatment that is added to other therapies to increase effectiveness, such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or hormone therapy.



• Adrenal cortex

The outer portion of the adrenal gland that secretes hormones that are vital to the body.



• Advanced cancer

Stage of cancer in which the disease has spread from the primary site to other parts of the body; when the cancer has spread only to the surrounding areas, it is called locally advanced; when it has spread further by traveling through the bloodstream, it



• Advanced maternal age

Women over age 34 (age 35 at delivery) at increased risk for genetic changes in fetus.



• Aerophagia

Condition that occurs when a person swallows too much air; causes gas and frequent belching.



• Agonist

A drug capable of combining with receptors to initiate an action that can be known in advance.



• Aguesia

Loss of the sense of taste.



• Akinesia

No movement.



• Alactasia

Inherited condition involving the lack of the enzyme needed to digest milk sugar.



• Alanine Aminotransferase (A. TRANSAMINASE; ALT)

aminotransferases are enzymes that facilitate the conversion of one amino acid into another, thus helping to maintain a balanced supply of amino acid building blocks for protein synthesis. Elevated alanine amino transferase activity provides a useful indicator for liver disorders.



• Albumin

A type of protein widely distributed in the tissues and fluids of plants and animals. It is the single most abundant protein in blood. Albumin acts as a carrier for numerous substances in the blood.



• Alimentary canal

Digestive tube.



• Alkaline Phosphatase

A group of enzymes that belong to the class known as hydrolases. They are thought to play an important role in the transport of sugars and phosphates in the intestine, bone, kidney and placenta. Elevated serum levels of alkaline phosphatase activity may indicate liver disease.



• Alleles

Variant forms of the same gene. Different alleles produce variations in inherited characteristics such as eye color or blood type.



• Allodynia

A condition in which ordinary, non-painful stimuli evoke pain.



• Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation

A procedure in which a person receives stem cells from a compatible donor.



• Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)

A protein excreted by the fetus into the amniotic fluid and from there into the mother's bloodstream through the placenta.



• Alternative medicine

Any form of therapy used alone, without recommended standard/conventional treatment.



• Amenorrhea

Absence or cessation of menstrual periods.



• American Cancer Society

An organization that supports research, educational materials, and programs, and offers many other services to cancer patients and their families.



• American Sign Language (ASL)

Manual (hand) language with its own syntax and grammar used primarily by persons who are deaf.



• Amino Acid

A family of modified organic acids that serve as building blocks for the synthesis of proteins.



• Amino acid

Any of a class of 20 molecules that are combined to form proteins in living things. The sequence of amino acids in a protein and hence protein function are determined by the genetic code.



• Amino acid sequence

The linear order of the amino acids in a protein or peptide.



• Amniocentesis

Prenatal diagnosis method using cells in the amniotic fluid to determine the number and kind of chromosomes of the fetus and, when indicated, perform biochemical studies.



• Amniocyte

Cells obtained by amniocentesis.



• Amplification

An increase in the number of copies of a specific DNA fragment; can be in vivo or in vitro. See cloning, polymerase chain reaction.



• Amsler grid

A chart featuring horizontal and vertical lines used to test vision.



• Amylase

An enzyme that breaks down complex carbohydrates such as starch.



• Amyloidosis

A rare disease which causes the build-up of amyloid, a protein and starch, in tissues and organs.



• Anal fistula

Channel that develops between the anus and the skin. Most fistulas are the result of an abscess (infection) that spreads to the skin.



• Anaphylactic Shock

An allergic reaction marked by contraction of smooth muscle and dilation of blood vessels. If not checked rapidly by an injection of epinephrine, the reaction can be lethal.



• Androgen

A hormone that promotes the development and maintenance of male sex characteristics.



• Anesthesia

Loss of feeling or sensation as a result of drugs or gases. General anesthesia causes loss of consciousness; local or regional anesthesia causes loss of feeling only to a specified area.



• Anesthetics

Drugs that cause loss of sensation to pain or awareness.



• Aneuploidy

State of having different chromosome numbers (too many or too few). (i.e. Down syndrome, Turner syndrome).



• Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor

A medication that lowers blood pressure.



• Ankle sprain

Overstretched lateral (outside) ligament of the ankle joint.



• Anosmia

Absence of the sense of smell.



• Antacids

Medicines that balance acids and gas in the stomach.



• Anterior chamber of the eye

The front section of the eye's interior where aqueous humor flows in and out of providing nourishment to the eye and surrounding tissues.



• Anterograde

Moving forward.



• Antibiotic

Chemical substances, produced by living organisms or synthesized (created) in laboratories, for the purpose of killing other organisms that cause disease.



• Anticholinergics

Medicines that calm muscle spasms in the intestine.



• Anticoagulant (BLOOD THINNER)

A medication that keeps blood from clotting.



• Antidepressants

Pharmaceutical agents used to treat clinical depression.



• Antidiarrheals

Medicines that help control diarrhea.



• Antiemetic

Drug that prevents or relieves nausea and vomiting (emesis).



• Antihistamine drugs

A group of drugs that block the effects of histamine, a chemical released in body fluids during an allergic reaction.



• Antihypertensive

A medication, or other therapy, that lowers blood pressure.



• Anti-Inflammatory

Agents that reduce inflammation without directly antagonizing the agent that caused it.



• Anti-inflammatory drugs

Inflammatory drugsdrugs that reduce the signs and symptoms of inflammation.



• Antimetabolites

Substances that interfere with the body�s chemical processes, such as creating proteins, DNA, and other chemicals needed for cell growth and reproduction; in cancer treatment, antimetabolite drugs disrupt DNA production, which in turn prevents cell divisi



• Antinuclear Antibody

Anti-self antibodies directed against the DNA. It is one indicator for the autoimmune disorder systemic lupus erythematosis (SLE).



• Antioxidants

Compounds that protect against cell damage inflicted by molecules called oxygen-free radicals, which are a major cause of disease and aging.



• Antispasmodics

Medicines that help reduce or stop muscle spasms.



• Antrectomy

Operation to remove the upper portion of the stomach, called the antrum, often to help reduce the amount of stomach acid.



• Anus

Opening at the end of the digestive tract where bowel contents leave the body.



• Anxiety Disorders

Also known as anxiety neurosis or anxiety reaction. A condition that can be caused by both psychologic and physiologic factors. It can take two general forms



• Aorta

Blood vessel that delivers oxygen-rich blood from the left ventricle to the body; it is the largest blood vessel in the body.



• Aortic valve

The valve that regulates blood flow from the heart into the aorta.



• Apex

Top portion of the upper lobes of the lungs.



• Aphasia

Total or partial loss of ability to use or understand language; usually caused by stroke, brain disease, or injury.



• Aphonia

Complete loss of voice.



• Apraxia

Inability to make a voluntary movement in spite of being able to demonstrate normal muscle function.



• Areola

Dark area of skin that surrounds the nipple of the breast.



• Arterioles

Small branches of arteries.



• Artery

A blood vessel that carries oxygenated blood away from the heart to the body.



• Arthralgia

Pain in a joint, usually due to arthritis or arthropathy.



• Arthroplasty

Total joint replacement.



• Articular cartilage

Covers the ends of bones and allows the distribution of compressive loads over the cross section of bones; provides frictionless and wear-resistant surface for joint movement.



• Articulation disorder

Inability to correctly produce speech sounds (phonemes) because of imprecise placement, timing, pressure, speed, or flow of movement of the lips, tongue, and/or throat.



• Artificial insemination

The placement of sperm into a female reproductive tract or the mixing of male and female gametes by other than natural means.



• Artificial ventilation

The process of supporting breathing by manual or mechanical means when normal breathing is inefficient or has stopped.



• Ascending colon

Part of the colon on the right side of the abdomen.



• Assisted reproductive technology (ART)

Medical procedures, such as intrauterine insemination, that are performed to help infertile couples conceive.



• Assistive devices

Technical tools and devices such as alphabet boards, text telephones, or text-to-speech conversion software used to assist people with physical or emotional disorders in performing certain actions, tasks, and activities.



• Asthma

A disease marked by recurrent attacks of distressed breathing. It is most often due to allergic reactions to plant or animal substances or to food products.



• Atherectomy

A non-surgical procedure that involves removing plaque from the walls of arteries with a rotating blade.



• Atherosclerosis

A type of arteriosclerosis caused by a build-up of plaque in the inner lining of an artery.



• Athetosis

Slow, involuntary movements of the hands and feet.



• Atonic colon (LAZY COLON)

Lack of normal muscle tone or strength in the colon.



• Atresia

Lack of a normal opening from the esophagus, intestines, or anus.



• Atrioventricular (AV) node

A cluster of cells between the atria and ventricles that regulate the electrical current.



• Atrioventricular block

An interruption of the electrical signal between the atria and the ventricles.



• Atrium (PL ATRIAL)

One of two upper chambers in the heart.



• Atrophic gastritis

Chronic inflammation of the stomach that causes the breakdown of the mucous membranes of the stomach.



• Atrophy

A continuous decline of a body part or tissue, usually a muscle, following a period of disuse or immobility.



• Atypical

Not usual; abnormal; often refers to the appearance of pre-cancerous or cancerous cells. (See also hyperplasia.)



• Auditory brainstem response (ABR) test

Test used to screen for hearing impairments in infants and young children.



• Auditory nerve

Eighth cranial nerve that connects the inner ear to the brainstem.



• Auditory perception

Ability to identify, interpret, and attach meaning to sound.



• Auditory prosthesis

Device that substitutes or enhances the ability to hear.



• Augmentative devices

Tools that help individuals with limited or absent speech to communicate.



• Aural rehabilitation

Techniques used with people who are hearing impaired to improve their ability to speak and to communicate.



• Autoimmune Disease

Disorders in which the body mounts a destructive immune response against its own tissues.



• Autoimmune process

A process where the body's immune system attacks and destroys body tissue that it mistakes for foreign matter.



• Autologous transplant

A procedure in which a patient's own bone marrow is removed, treated with anticancer drugs or radiation, then returned to the patient.



• Autopsy

Examination of a body after death; performed to determine cause of death, or to verify a diagnosis.



• Autoradiography

A technique that uses X- ray film to locate radioactively labeled molecules or fragments of molecules; used in analyzing length and number of DNA fragments after they are separated by gel electrophoresis.



• Autosome

Any of the non-sex-determining chromosomes. Human cells have 22 pairs of autosomes.



• Avascular necrosis

Death of tissue due to a depletion of blood supply.



• Avulsion

When a muscle is forcefully stretched beyond its freely available range of motion, or when it meets a sudden, unexpected resistance while contracting forcefully.



• Axilla

Armpit.



• Axillary dissection

A surgical procedure in which the lymph nodes in the armpit (axillary nodes) are removed and examined; often used to determine if breast cancer has spread to the axillary nodes.



• Axillary Lymph Nodes

Lymphoid organs located near the shoulder joint.



• Axon

The long, hair like extension of a nerve cell that carries a message to a nearby nerve cell.