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HEALTH-CARE GLOSSARY
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Business New Haven
6/14/99
By: BNH
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Abscess: A localized collection of pus in any body part that results from invasion of a pus-forming bacterium.
Abortion: The termination of pregnancy before the fetus reaches the stage of viability.
Algesia: Supersensitivity to pain.
Allergy: An acquired, abnormal immune response to a substance (allergen) which does not normally cause a reaction.
Alzheimer's disease: A chronic, progressive disorder that accounts for more than 50 percent of all dementia.
Amenorrhea: The absence or suppression of menstruation.
Anemia: A reduction in the number of circulating red blood cells per cubic millimeter, or the amount of hemoglobin per 100 ml.
Aneurysm: Localized abnormal dilatation of a blood vessel, usually an artery; due to a congenital defect or weakness in the wall of the vessel.
Apnea: Temporary cessation of breathing.
Artery: One of the vessels carrying blood from the heart to the tissues.
Atrophy: A wasting; a decrease in size of an organ or tissue.
Biofeedback: A training program designed to develop one's ability to control the autonomic nervous system.
Biopsy: The obtaining of a representative tissue sample for microscopic examination, usually to establish a diagnosis.
Cancer: An imprecise term used to describe an estimated 200 different kinds of malignant neoplasms marked by uncontrolled growth and the spread of abnormal cells.
Chromosome: A linear thread made of DNA in the nucleus of a cell.
Chronic: Of long duration; denoting a disease showing little change or of a slow progression; the opposite of acute.
Concussion: An injury resulting from an impact with an object; partial or complete loss of function, as that resulting from a blow or fall.
Congenital: Present at birth.
Dementia: A broad term that refers to cognitive deficit, including memory impairment.
Dialysis: The passage of a solute through a membrane; the process of diffusing blood across a semipermeable membrane to remove toxic materials and to maintain fluid, electrolyte and acid-base balance in cases of impaired kidney function or absence of the kidneys.
Diuretic: An agent that increases urine secretion.
Dyskinesia: A defect in the ability to perform voluntary movement.
Dysmenorrhea: Pain in association with menstruation. This disorder is the greatest single cause of absence from school and work among menstrual-age women.
Dyspepsia: Imperfect or painful digestion; not a disease in itself but symptomatic of other diseases or disorders.
Dystonia: Prolonged muscle contractions that may cause twisting and repetitive movements or abnormal posture.
Dystrophy: A disorder caused by defective nutrition or metabolism.
Eczema: An acute or chronic cutaneous inflammation with pustules, scales, crusts, or scabs alone or in combination.
Efferent: Carrying away from a central organ or section, as efferent nerves, which conduct impulses from the brain or spinal cord to the periphery.
Endemic: Pertaining to a disease that occurs continuously or in expected cycles in a population, with a certain number of cases expected for a given period. The term may be used in contrast to epidemic.
Endocarditis: Inflammation of the lining membrane of the heart.
Epilepsy: A recurrent paroxysmal disorder of cerebral function marked by sudden, brief attacks of altered consciousness, motor activity, or sensory phenomena. Convulsive seizures are the most common form of attack.
Endocrine: Pertaining to a gland that secretes directly into the bloodstream.
Etiology: The cause of a disease.
Generic Drugs: Drugs not protected by trademark.
Gene Therapy: The replacement in a human of a defective or malfunctioning gene by introducing a gene that functions adequately and properly.
Genetic Code: The code contained in the DNA of most living cells that determines the amino acid sequence of the cell's proteins and is passed on to offspring by way of egg and sperm.
Gland: A cell or a group of cells that can manufacture a secretion discharged and used in some other part of the body.
Hemorrhage: An abnormal, severe internal or external discharge of blood.
Hormone: A substance originating in an organ, gland or body part that is conveyed through the blood to another body part, chemically stimulating that part to increase or decrease functional activity or to increase or decrease secretion of another hormone.
Infarction: The formation of an area of tissue in an organ or part that undergoes necrosis following cessation of the blood supply.
Infection: The presence and growth of microorganisms that produce tissue damage.
Ligament: A band or sheet of strong fibrous connective tissue connecting the ends of bones, binding them together and facilitating or limiting motion.
Meningitis: Inflammation of the membranes of the spinal cord or brain.
Metabolism: The sum of all physical and chemical changes that take place within an organism; all energy and material transformations that occur within living cells.
Mucosa: A mucous membrane or moist tissue layer that lines the hollow organs and cavities of the body.
Mucous Membrane: The membrane lining passages and cavities communicating with the air, consisting of a surface layer, a basement membrane and an underlying layer of connective tissue. Mucus-secreting cells or glands are usually present.
Necrosis: The death of areas of tissue or bone surrounded by healthy parts.
Neonate: A newborn infant up to one month of age.
Nephrology: The branch of medical science concerned with the structure and function of the kidneys.
Neurotic Disorder: A mental disorder in which the predominant disturbance is a symptom or group of symptoms that is distressing to the individual and is recognized by that person as being unacceptable.
Neurotransmitter: Substance (e.g., norepinephrine, acetylcholine or dopamine) that is released when the nerve cell (neuron) is excited. The substance then travels across the synapse (space between cells) to act on the target cell to either inhibit or excite it.
Occlusal: Pertaining to the closure of an opening.
Paroxysm: A sudden, periodic attack or recurrence of symptoms of a disease; an exacerbation of the symptoms of a disease; a sudden spasm or convulsion of any kind.
Purulence: The state of containing pus.
Suppression: The repression of the external manifestation of a morbid condition.
Supressor T Cells: A subpopulation of cells that slows and stops the specific immune response.
Suppuration: The process of pus formation.
Syndrome: A group of symptoms and signs of disordered function related to one another by means of some anatomical, physiological or biochemical peculiarity.
Tendon: Fibrous connective tissue serving for the attachment of muscles to bones and other parts.
Thrombosis: The formation, development or existence of a blood clot or thrombus within the vascular system.
Trauma: A physical injury or wound caused by external force or violence.
Ulcer: An open sore or lesion of the skin or mucous membrane accompanied by sloughing of inflamed necrotic tissue.
Vein: A vessel carrying deoxygenated (dark red) blood to the heart, with the exception of pulmonary veins, which carry oxygenated blood. In contrast to arteries.
Vertigo: The sensation of moving around in space (subjective vertigo) or of having objects move about the person (objective vertigo).
Visceral: Pertaining to internal organs that exist inside of body cavities.
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