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Medical Dictionary Terms Beginning with A
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Absorption
Absorption: Uptake. Intestinal absorption is the uptake of food (or other substances) from the digestive tract.more detail info...
Acapnia
Acapnia: Less than the normal level of carbon dioxide in the blood. The opposite of hypercapnia.The origin of the word ôacapniaö is curious. It comes from the Greek ôa-ô meaning ôwithoutö + ôkapnosö meaning ôsmokeö so acapnia literally means ôsmokmore detail info...
Accelerated phase of leukemia
Accelerated phase of leukemia: Refers to chronic myelogenous leukemia that is progressing. The number of immature, abnormal white blood cells in the bone marrow and blood is higher than in the chronic phase, but not as high as in the blast phase.more detail info...
Accessory nerve
Accessory nerve: The accessory nerve is the eleventh cranial nerve. All twelve cranial nerves, the accesssory nerve included, emerge from or enter the skull (the cranium) as opposed to the spinal nerves which emerge from the vertebral column. The accessomore detail info...
Accessory neuropathy
Accessory neuropathy: Disease of the accessory nerve which is the eleventh cranial nerve. All twelve cranial nerves, the accesssory nerve included, emerge from or enter the skull (the cranium) as opposed to the spinal nerves which emerge from the vertebrmore detail info...
Accessory placenta
Accessory placenta: An extra placenta separate from the main placenta. Also called a succenturiate or supernumerary placenta. The placenta is the organ joining the mother and fetus, the organ that permits the provision of oxygen and nutrients to tmore detail info...
Accoucheur
Accoucheur: French for a male obstetrician, a physician skilled in the art and science of managing pregnancy, labor and the pueperium (the time after delivery).more detail info...
Accoucheuse
Accoucheuse: French for a woman who is an obstetrician (a physician skilled in the art and science of managing pregnancy, labor and the time after delivery) or a midwife (today a non-physician trained to assist a woman during childbirth). The endimore detail info...
ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme)
ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme): The angiotensins are peptides (substances smaller than proteins) that act as vasoconstricting agents (causing blood vessels to narrow). Narrowing the diameter of the blood vessels sends up the blood pressure.more detail info...
ACE inhibitors
ACE inhibitors: Drugs that inhibit ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) which is important to the formation of angiotensin II. Angiotensin II causes arteries in the body to constrict and thereby raises the blood pressure. ACE inhibitors lower the bmore detail info...
Acentric chromosome
Acentric chromosome: A fragment of a chromosome (one of the microscopically visible carriers of the genetic material DNA) that is lacking a centromere (the ôwaistö of the chromosome essential for the division and the retention of the chromosome inmore detail info...
Acetabular
Acetabular: Pertaining to the acetabulum, the cup-shaped socket of the hip joint which is a key feature of the pelvis. The head (upper end) of the femur (the thighbone) fits into the acetabulum and articulates with it, forming a ball-and-socket jomore detail info...
Acetabulum
Acetabulum: The cup-shaped socket of the hip joint. In fact, in Latin an ôacetabulumö is cup, a vinegar cup. The acetabulum is a feature of the pelvis. The head (upper end) of the femur (the thighbone) fits into the acetabulum and articulates withmore detail info...
Acetone
Acetone: A volatile liquid used as a solvent. Acetone is one of the so-called ketone bodies formed when the body uses fat instead of glucose (sugar) for energy. The formation of acetone usually means that cells lack insulin (or cannot effectivelymore detail info...
Acetylsalicylic acid
Acetylsalicylic acid: Aspirin.more detail info...
Achalasia
Achalasia: A rare disease of the esophagus (swallowing tube), usually diagnosed in young adults. Abnormal function of nerves and muscles of the esophagus causes difficulty swallowing and sometimes chest pain. Regurgitation of undigested food camore detail info...
Achilles tendon
Achilles tendon: One of the longest tendons in the body, the Achilles tendon (formally called the tendo Achilles or the tendo calcaneus) is a tough sinew that attaches the calf muscle to the back of the heel bone (the calcaneus). According to Greek mytmore detail info...
Achlorhydria
Achlorhydria: A lack of hydrochloric acid in the digestive juices in the stomach. Hydrochloric acid helps digest food.more detail info...
Achondroplasia
Achondroplasia: A genetic disorder of bone growth, achondroplasia is the most common cause of short stature with disproportionately short limbs -- dwarfism with short arms and legs. There is a typically large head with prominence of the foreheadmore detail info...
Acidosis
Acidosis: Too much acid in the blood and body. This is a distinctly abnormal condition. It results from the accumulation of acid or the depletion of alkaline reserves. The pH of the acidotic body measures below normal. For a person with diabetes,more detail info...