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Medical Dictionary Terms Beginning with O
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Ocular
Ocular: In a microscope, the lens closest to the eye is termed the ocular (the eyepiece) whereas the objective (also called the objective lens) is the lens nearest to the object being examined. The light microscope today is usually binocular (with one ocmore detail info...
Oculomotor nerve
Oculomotor nerve: The oculomotor nerve is responsible for the nerve supply to muscles about the eye: the upper eyelid muscle, the extraocular muscle which moves the eye inward, and the pupillary muscle which constricts the pupil. Paralysis of the oculomomore detail info...
Oesophagus
Oesophagus: Alternate spelling for esophagus.more detail info...
Off-label use
Off-label use: In the United States, the regulations of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) permit physicians to prescribe approved medications for other than their intended indications. This practice is known as off-label use.more detail info...
Ointment
Ointment: A medication preparation that is applied topically (onto the skin). An ointment has an oil base whereas a cream is water-soluble. (The word ointment comes from the Latin ungere meaning anoint with oil).more detail info...
Olfaction
Olfaction: The sense of smell. Olfactory apparatus: The whole system needed to have a sense of smell.more detail info...
Olfactory nerve
Olfactory nerve: The nerve that carries impulses for the sense of smell from the nose to the brain. The olfactory nerve is the second cranial nerve. The cranial nerves emerge from or enter the skull (the cranium), as opposed to the spinal nerves which emmore detail info...
Oligo- (prefix)
Oligo- (prefix): Means just a few or scanty. From the Greek "oligos', few, scanty. Examples of terms starting with oligo- include oligodactyly (few fingers), oligohydramnios (too little amniotic fluid) and oligospermia (too few sperm).more detail info...
Oligodactyly
Oligodactyly: Fewer than the normal number of fingers or toes. Oligo- is from the Greek ôoligosö (few or scanty) + -dactyly from the Greek ôdactylosö (finger) = few fingers. Oligodactyly is the opposite of polydactyly which means too many fingersmore detail info...
Oligodendrocyte
Oligodendrocyte: A type of cell in the central nervous system. The oligodendrocytes surround and insulate the long fibers (the axons) through which the nerves send their electrical messages. The term "oligodendrocyte" comes from the fact that throughmore detail info...
Oligodendroglioma
Oligodendroglioma: A type of brain tumor that is derived from oligodendrocytes which are cells in the central nervous system that surround and insulate the long fibers (the axons) through which nerves send their electrical messages.more detail info...
Oligohydramnios
Oligohydramnios: Scant amniotic fluid: less than usual.more detail info...
Oligomenorrhea
Oligomenorrhea: Scant menstruation. Less menstrual blood flow than usual.more detail info...
Oligonucleotide
Oligonucleotide: A short DNA molecule composed of relatively few nucleotide bases.more detail info...
Oligospermia
Oligospermia: Fewer sperm than usual. Azospermia, by contrast, means absolutely no sperm at all.more detail info...
Oliguria
Oliguria: Less urination than normal.more detail info...
Omentum
Omentum: A sheet of fat covered by peritoneum. The greater omentum is attached to the bottom edge of the stomach and hangs down in front of the intestines. The other edge is attached to the transverse colon. The lesser omentum is attached to the top edmore detail info...
Ommaya reservoir
Ommaya reservoir: A device implanted under the scalp and used to deliver anticancer drugs to the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord.more detail info...
Omphalocele
Omphalocele: A birth defect with intestine protruding outside the abdomen at the umbilicus. Due to a failure at 10 weeks' embryonic development for the intestine, for a time normally outside the abdomen, to return.more detail info...
OMS
OMS: Organisation Mondiale de la SantΘ. The World Health Organization (WHO).more detail info...