Medical Dictionary Terms Beginning with P

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Palate

Palate: The roof of the mouth. The front portion is bony (hard palate), and the back portion is muscular (soft palate).
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Palate, cleft

Palate, cleft: An opening in the roof of the mouth, due to a failure of the palatal shelves to come fully together from either side of the mouth and fuse during embryonic development. The opening in the palate permits communication between the nasal
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Palate, hard

Palate, hard: The bony part of the roof of the mouth. The hard palate is just in front of the soft palate.
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Palate, soft

Palate, soft: The muscular part of the roof of the mouth. The soft palate is directly behind the hard palate. It lacks bone and so is soft.
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Palindrome in genetics

Palindrome in genetics: A palindrome is a word that reads the same in both directions as, for example, the names Eve or Anna. In genetics, a palindrome is a DNA or RNA sequence that reads the same in both directions. The sites of many restriction enzym
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Palliate

Palliate: To treat a disease partially and insofar as possible but not cure it completely.
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Pallister-Killian syndrome

Pallister-Killian syndrome: A condition with multiple malformations at birth and mental retardation due to isochromosome 12p mosaicism (an abnormal chromosome #12 in some cells).
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Palmar surface

Palmar surface: The palm or grasping side of the hand.
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Palpate

Palpate: To touch or feel. The liver's edge may be palpated.
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Palpebra

Palpebra: Medical term for eyelid. The plural is palpebrae.
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Palpebral fissure

Palpebral fissure: The opening for the eyes between the eyelids.
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Palpebral glands

Palpebral glands: Little glands in the eyelids (the palpebrae) that make a lubricant which they discharge through their tiny openings in the edges of the lids. The lubricant is a fatty substance called sebum characteristic of sebaceous glands. Also know
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Palpitations

Palpitations: Unpleasant sensations of irregular and/or forceful beating of the heart. In some patients with palpitations, no heart disease or abnormal heart rhythms can be found. In others, palpitations result from abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias)
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Palsy

Palsy: Paralysis, generally partial, whereby a local body area is incapable of voluntary movement (motor function). For example, BellÆs palsy is localized paralysis of the muscles on one side of the face. The word ôpalsyö is a corruption (and con
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Palsy, BellÆs

Palsy, BellÆs: Paralysis of the facial nerve, the nerve that supplies the facial muscles on one side of the face. The cause of BellÆs palsy is not known, but it is thought to be related to a virus (or to various viruses). BellÆs palsy typically
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Palsy, laryngeal

Palsy, laryngeal: Paralysis of the recurrent laryngeal nerve, a branch of the vagus nerve (a long and important nerve that originates in the brainstem and runs down to the colon). After the recurrent laryngeal nerve leaves the vagus nerve, it goes down i
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Palsy, laryngeal nerve

Palsy, laryngeal nerve: Paralysis of the recurrent laryngeal nerve, a branch of the vagus nerve (a long and important nerve that originates in the brainstem and runs down to the colon). After the recurrent laryngeal nerve leaves the vagus nerve, it goes
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Panacea

Panacea: A universal remedy, a cure-all. From the name of Panaceia, the daughter of Asklepios, the Greek god of medicine (whose staff with entwined snake is the symbol of medicine). Asklepios (known to the Romans as Aesculapius) had a number of ch
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Pancolitis

Pancolitis:Ulcerative colitis that involves the entire colon (the large intestine). Ulcerative colitis itself is a relatively common disease involving inflammation of the large intestine (the colon). The cause is unknown. It is a form of inflammatory b
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Pancreas

Pancreas: The pancreas is a spongy, tube-shaped organ about 6 inches long. It is located in the back of the abdomen, behind the stomach. The head of the pancreas is on the right side of the abdomen. It is connected to the duodenum, the upper end of
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