Glossary
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N |
O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
A
Acetaminophen
A crystalline compound C8H9NO2that is a hydroxy derivative of acetanilide and is used in chemical synthesis and in medicine instead of aspirin to relieve pain and fever
Achlorhydria
Absence of hydrochloric acid from the gastric juice
Anabolic steroid
A synthetic derivative of testosterone that promotes tissue building and nitrogen-retaining processes
Anemia
A condition in which the blood is deficient in red blood cells, in hemoglobin, or in total volume
Antihistamine
An agent that tends to block or counteract the physiological action of histamine, a compound in your body that produces an allergic effect to an allergen
Arteriosclerotic vascular disease
A chronic disease characterized by abnormal thickening and hardening of the arterial walls with resulting loss of elasticity
B
Bone mineral density
A measure of the mineral density (calcium content and other bone materials) of bones; the higher your mineral content the denser your bones are; in osteoporosis, the bone mineral content is low and bones are more likely to break
Bone marrow
A highly cellular hematopoietic connective tissue filling the medullary cavities and spongy epiphyses of bones that becomes predominantly fatty with age–especially in the long bones. The bone marrow is responsible for making red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. It has been shown that androgens stimulate protein synthesis in the bone marrow
C
Calcium
A silver-white bivalent metallic element that is an alkaline earth metal, occurs only in combination, and is an essential constituent of most plants and animals
Carcinoma
A malignant tumor of epithelial origin; cancer is the term given to malignant tumors
Chronic illness
A long-term medical condition. The U.S. National Center for Health Statistics defines a chronic condition as one with a duration of three months or longer
Colitis
Also called ulcerative colitis. A chronic inflammatory disease of the colon that is of unknown cause and is characterized by diarrhea with discharge of mucus and blood, cramping abdominal pain, and inflammation and edema of the mucous membrane with patches of ulceration
Constipation
Abnormally delayed or infrequent passage of dry hardened feces
Corticosteroids
Any of various adrenal-cortex steroids (as corticosterone, cortisone, and aldosterone) that are divided on the basis of their major biological activity into glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids
Crohn’s disease
Chronic ileitis (inflammation of the ileum, the last part of the large intestine) that typically involves the distal portion of the ileum, often spreads to the colon, and is characterized by diarrhea, cramping, and loss of appetite and weight with local abscesses and scarring
D
Decongestant
An agent that relieves congestion (as of mucous membranes)
Dementia
A usually progressive condition (as Alzheimer's disease) marked by the development of multiple cognitive deficits (as memory impairment, aphasia, and inability to plan and initiate complex behavior)
Dexchlorpheniramine
An antihistamine used to treat symptoms of allergic conditions, e.g., sneezing, itching, runny nose, or watery eyes associated with hay fever
E
Endometriosis
The presence and growth of functioning endometrial tissue in places other than the uterus that often results in severe pain and infertility
Erythropoietin
A chemical in your body that can increase the production of new red blood cells
F
Ferritin
A crystalline iron-containing protein that functions in the storage of iron and is found especially in the liver and spleen
Flu
Any of several diseases caused by bacteria or viruses and marked especially by respiratory or intestinal symptoms
Folic acid
A crystalline vitamin C19H19N2O6of the B complex that is required for normal production of red blood cells, that is used especially in the treatment of nutritional anemias, and that occurs especially in green leafy vegetables, liver, kidneys, dried beans, and mushrooms —called also folacin, folate, Lactobacillus casei factor, pteroylglutamic acid, vitamin Bc, vitamin M
G
H
Heme iron
The form of iron found in animal sources, which is highly available for absorption. Good sources of heme iron include clams, liver, beef, and shrimp
Hemoglobin
An iron-containing protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to the cells from the lungs and carries carbon dioxide away from the cells and to the lungs
Hepatic Dysfunction
A dysfunction of, relating to, affecting, or associated with the liver
Homocysteine
An amino acid C4H9NO2S that is produced in animal metabolism by the demethylation of methionine and forms a complex with serine that breaks up to produce cysteine and homoserine and that appears to be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and osteoporitic hip fracture when occurring at high levels in the blood
Hypercalcemia
The presence of an excess of calcium in the blood
Hyperhomocysteinemia
The presence of an excess of homocysteine, a chemical found in the blood, that is an established independent risk factor for a wide range of cardiovascular diseases in both men and women, including coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, and stroke
Hypervitaminosis
An abnormal state resulting from excessive intake of one or more vitamins
I
Inflammatory bowel disease
Either of two inflammatory diseases of the bowel: Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
Iron Deficiency
A reduction of total iron body stores that can result in anemia and altered function of many vital cells in the body
J
K
L
M
Macrocyctic anemia
An anemia (reduction of the number of red blood cells) characterized by red blood cells that are larger than normal. Two common causes include vitamin B12 deficiency or deficiency of folic acid
Magnesium
A silver-white light malleable ductile metallic element that occurs abundantly in nature (as in bones and seeds and in the form of chlorophyll in the green parts of plants) and is used in metallurgical and chemical processes, in photography, in signaling, and in the manufacture of pyrotechnics because of the intense white light it produces on burning, and in construction especially in the form of light alloys
Menopause
The natural cessation of menstruation occurring usually between the ages of 45 and 55 with a mean in Western cultures of approximately 51 (2): the physiological period in the life of a woman in which such cessation and the accompanying regression of ovarian function occurs —called also climacteric
Microcyctic anemia
Anemia (reduction of the number of red blood cells) characterized by red blood cells that are smaller than normal. The most common cause is iron deficiency
Myocardial Infarction
A heart attack
N
Nephrosis
A term for non-inflammatory disease of the kidneys, also called nephropathy
Nitrogen balance
The relationship between the nitrogen taken into the body, usually as food, and the amount of nitrogen excreted from the body in urine and feces. A negative nitrogen balance means that parts of the body, such as muscles, are breaking down faster than they are replaced. Anabolic steroids are associated with improved nitrogen balance, provided there is adequate intake of calories and protein
O
Osteoporosis
A condition that affects especially older women and is characterized by decrease in bone mass with decreased density and enlargement of bone spaces producing porosity and brittleness
P
Pernicious anemia
A severe hyperchromic anemia marked by a progressive decrease in number and increase in size and hemoglobin content of the red blood cells and by pallor, weakness, and gastrointestinal and nervous disturbances and associated with reduced ability to absorb vitamin B12 due to the absence of intrinsic factor—also called addisonian anemia
Placebo
An inactive substance (pill, liquid, etc.), which is administered as if it were a therapy or drug, but which has no therapeutic value. Placebos are used in clinical trials to assess the real action of a drug administered identically, through comparison and avoiding any psychic
Pseudoephedrine
A crystalline alkaloid C10H15NO that is isomeric with ephedrine and is administered chiefly in the form of its hydrochloride C10H15 NO·HCl or
sulfate (C10H15NO)2·H2SO4especially to relieve nasal congestion factors
Q
R
Red blood cells: Red blood cells, or erythrocytes
Are the most common type of cells in the blood and are the body’s principal means of delivering oxygen from the lungs to the tissues via the blood
S
Sarcoidosis
Chronic disease of unknown cause that is characterized by the formation of nodules resembling true tubercles especially in the lymph nodes, lungs, bones, and skin
Sinusitis
Inflammation of the sinus of the paranasal sinuses. The source of the inflammation could be bacterial, fungal, viral, allergic or autoimmune in origin
T
Testosterone
The most potent, naturally occurring androgen formed by the testes, ovary, and adrenal cortex, also referred to as the male sex hormone
U
Uterine fibroid
A benign tumor especially of the uterine wall that consists of fibrous and muscular tissue
V
Vitamin B6
Pyridoxine or a closely related compound found widely in combined form and considered essential to vertebrate nutrition
Vitamin B12
A complex cobalt-containing compound C63H88CoN14O14P that occurs especially in liver, is essential to normal blood formation, neural function, and growth, and is used especially in treating pernicious and related anemias and in animal feed as a growth factor —called also cyanocobalamin or hydroxycobalamin
Vitamin D
Any or all of several fat-soluble vitamins chemically related to steroids, essential for normal bone and tooth structure, and found especially in fish-liver oils, egg yolk, and milk or produced by activation (as by ultraviolet irradiation) of sterols
Vitamin E
Any of several fat-soluble vitamins that are chemically tocopherols or tocotrienols, are essential in the nutrition of various vertebrates in which their absence is associated with infertility, degenerative changes in muscle, or vascular abnormalities, are found especially in wheat germ, vegetable oils, egg yolk, and green leafy vegetables or are made synthetically, and are used chiefly in animal feeds and as antioxidants
W
X
Y
Z
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Source: http://www.medlineplus.gov/
