| C.A.T. SCAN: |
Computer Axial Tomographic scan. Radiographic scan of structures within the body: used for diagnostic purposes. |
| C.S.F.: |
The fluid which accumulates round the linings of the brain and the spinal cord |
| CACHEXIA: |
Malnutrition and wasting due to illness. |
| CALCIFICATION: |
Abnormal deposits of calcium and magnesium salts in tissue. |
| CALCIUM: |
A mineral important for strong teeth and bones and for muscle and nerve function. Dairy products are a good source of calcium. Calcium is added to bone by cells called osteoblasts. It is removed from bone by cells called osteoclasts. |
| CALCULUS: |
Accumulation of mineral salts in various parts of the body, such as a kidney stone or on teeth. |
| CANDIDA: |
Yeast-like fungi. |
| CANINE: |
One of four teeth found between the molars and incisors; also known
as eye teeth. |
| CAPILLARY: |
Hair-like blood vessel. |
| CARDIAC: |
Pertaining to the heart. |
| CARDIAC ARREST: |
Sudden stopping of circulation by cessation of the heartbeat. |
| CARDIAC ARRHYTHMIAS: |
Abnormal heart rate or rhythm. |
| CARDIORESPIRATORY: |
Pertaining to the heart and lungs. |
| CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM: |
The circulatory system, including the heart, arteries, veins and lymphatics. |
| CARIES: |
Decay of tooth or bone; also known as cavities. |
| CAROTID ARTERY: |
Main (right and left) artery of the neck which carries blood to the head and brain. |
| CARRIER: |
One who carries and may transmit an infectious agent or genetic defect in the absence of symptoms. |
| CARTILAGE: |
Firm, dense, pliable connective tissue (gristle), devoid of blood vessels and not impregnated with calcium (bone), that cushions bones at joints. A more flexible kind of cartilage connects muscles with bones and makes up other parts of the body, such as the larynx and the outside parts of the ears |
| CAT SCAN: |
Computerized axial tomography scan. An imaging technique that uses a computer to organize the information from multiple x-ray views and construct a cross-sectional image of areas inside the body. Also called CT scan. |
| CATAPLEXY: |
Sudden loss of muscle tone. |
| CATARACT: |
A clouding or loss of transparency of the eye lens that impairs vision. There are many causes of cataracts including aging, diabetes, cortisone medication, trauma, or other diseases. |
| CELL: |
Unit of protoplasm, the essential living matter of all plants and animals. |
| CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM: |
Consists of the brain and spinal cord. |
| CEPHALOHEMATOMA: |
A bruised area beneath the outer layer of the skull of a newborn. |
| CEPHALO: |
Pertaining to the head. (e.g. anenCEPHALY) |
| CEPHALOCAUDAL: |
From head to tail. Refers to neurological development that proceeds from the head downward. |
| CEREBELLUM: |
Portion of the brain responsible for coordinating movements, located in the back of the head between the cerebrum and the brain stem. |
| CEREBRAL: |
Related to the 2 major hemispherical components of the brain, which serve the "higher" mental functions. |
| CEREBRAL EMBOLISM: |
A clot that travels through blood vessels from the site where it formed and blocks blood flow in the brain. |
| CEREBRAL HEMISPHERES: |
The two halves of the cerebrum, the largest part of the brain. |
| CEREBRAL HEMORRHAGE: |
Bleeding into the brain. |
| CEREBROATROPHIC: |
Wasting of the brain. |
| CEREBROSPINAL FLUID: |
The watery fluid that fills the spaces in and around the brain and spinal cord. Also called CSF. |
| CEREBROVASCULAR: |
Pertaining to the blood vessels of the brain. |
| CEREBRUM: |
Largest portion of the brain, consisting of two hemispheres; responsible for thinking, feelings and voluntary movement. |
| CERVICAL: |
Relating to the bones of the neck or the neck of the womb. |
| CHOLESTEROL: |
A fat-like substance found in blood, muscle, liver, brain, and other tissues in people and animals. The body makes and needs some cholesterol. Too much cholesterol, however, may cause fat to build up in the artery walls and cause a disease that slows or stops the flow of blood. Butter and egg yolks are foods that have a lot of cholesterol. |
| CHOREA: |
Disorder characterized by irregular, spasmodic, involuntary movements of individual muscles or small muscle groups of the face, fingers and toes. |
| CHORIONIC VILLUS SAMPLING: |
A procedure in which a small sample of cells are removed from the placenta where it joins the uterus. Used to test for chromosome abnormalities such as Down syndrome in the fetus. |
| CHOROID: |
Main part of the vascular coat of the eye. |
| CHROMOSOME: |
A structure in a cell nucleus that consists of genes. In humans, 23 pairs of chromosomes, each pair containing one chromosome from each parent, carry the entire genetic code. |
| CILIA: |
Eyelashes; or, microscopic hair-like projections lining the nose and bronchi. |
| CIRCLE OF WILLIS: |
A ring of arteries deep in the brain interconnecting the pairs of internal carotid arteries and vertebral arteries to supply the brain with oxygen-rich blood. |
| CIRCULATION: |
The flow of blood through the heart and blood vessels of the body. |
| CIRCULATORY SYSTEM: |
The circulatory system is a composed of the heart, arteries, capillaries and veins. It serves to transport blood low in oxygen from the body to the lungs and heart (veins) and oxygenated blood from the lungs and heart throughout the body (arteries). |
| CIRRHOSIS: |
Progressive fibrous tissue growth in an organ such as the liver. |
| CLEFT LIP AND/OR PALATE: |
A gap in the soft palate and roof of the mouth, sometimes extending through the upper lip. Results when the various parts of a lip or palate don't grow together to make a single lip or hard palate and is usually correctable. Affects eating, speech production, hearing and tooth formation. Clefting occurs during the sixth through thirteenth week of pregnancy. |
| CLINICAL: |
Pertaining to information gathered from direct observation of patients, as distinct from laboratory findings. |
| CLINICAL TRIAL: |
A scientifically controlled study carried out in people with a particular disease or class of diseases, usually to test the effectiveness of a new treatment. In cancer research, a clinical trial generally refers to the evaluation of treatment methods such as surgery, drugs or radiation techniques, although methods of prevention, detection or diagnosis may also be the subject of such studies. |
| CLOACAL: |
Describes the common uro-genital and rectal chamber in the human embryo. |
| CLONUS: |
Involuntary, rapid contractions and relaxations of a muscle.` |
| COAGULATION: |
Clotting of the blood. |
| COARCTATION: |
Condition of narrowing or stricture. |
| COCCYX: |
Fused bone at the base of the spine; tailbone. |
| COCHLEA: |
A structure in the inner ear that converts sound coming from the middle ear into electrical signals that are transmitted to the brain. |
| COGNITIVE: |
Pertaining to the mental process of thought, including perception, reasoning, intuition and memory. |
| COLLATERAL VESSELS: |
Small branches of arteries and veins that develop to bypass narrowed or blocked segments. |
| COLON: |
The long, coiled, tubelike organ that removes water from digested food. The remaining material, solid waste called stool, moves through the colon to the rectum and leaves the body through the anus. The colon is sometimes called the large bowel or the large intestine. |
| COLORECTAL: |
Pertaining to the colon and rectum. |
| COLOSTOMY: |
Artificial opening in the abdomen connecting the large intestine to the outside of the body. |
| COMA: |
A state of unarousable unconsciousness. |
| CONCEPTION: |
The onset of pregnancy. |
| CONGENITAL: |
Present at birth. A condition or disease existing at birth, that is not necessarily caused by inheritance. |
| CONGESTION: |
The presence of excessive blood or fluid, such as mucus, in an organ or tissue. |
| CONJUNCTION: |
The mucous membrane lining the eyelids and the front of the eye. |
| CONNECTIVE TISSUE: |
General term for all tissues of the body which support and connect various organs and other structures. |
| CONSANGINEOUS: |
Related by blood. |
| CONSTIPATION: |
The inability to pass bowel movements easily. |
| CONSTRICTION: |
Tightness or pressure. |
| CONTRACTURE: |
Stiffening or shortening of muscle caused physiologically and/or by lack of use; result in a reduction of the range of movement of a joint. For example, if an elbow or knee remained bent for extended periods, it could become more and more difficult to straighten. |
| CONVULSTION: |
A sudden attack usually characterized by loss of consciousness and sustained or rhythmic contractions of some or all voluntary muscles. Convulsions are most often a manifestation of a seizure disorder (epilepsy). |
| CORNEA: |
Transparent part of the eye in front of the iris and pupil. |
| CORNEAL: |
Related to the cornea of the eye, the transparent coating over the front of the eye. |
| CORONARY ARTERIES: |
Arteries supplying blood to the heart muscle itself. |
| CORPUS CALLOSUM: |
Part of the brain which joins one cerebral hemisphere to the other. |
| CORPUS LUTEUM: |
The zona granulosa and theca cells remaining in the ovary after ovulation and some surrounding capillaries and connective tissue evolve into the corpus luteum. The corpus luteum produces progesterone and, in the event of fertilization, provides the required progesterone until the placenta is formed. The corpus luteum also produces some estrogen. In the absence of fertilization, the life span of the corpus luteum is 14 days. |
| CORTEX: |
The outer or superficial part of an organ. |
| CORTICAL BLINDNESS: |
Blindness caused by malformation or damage to the cortex of the brain. |
| CRANIAL: |
Related to the skull. |
| CRANIAL NERVES: |
Twelve nerves that connect the brain with the muscles and sense organs of the face, neck, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. |
| CUSP: |
A segment of a heart valve. |
| CUSPID: |
Tooth with one point, sometimes called the canine tooth. |
| CUTANEOUS: |
Skin. |
| CYANOSIS: |
A condition in which a lack of oxygen in the blood causes the blood to be darker and the skin to look bluish. |
| CYANOTIC HEART DISEASE: |
Birth defects of the heart which permit oxygen-depleted (blue) blood to circulate to the body without passing through the lungs. |
| CYST: |
A hollow tumour in the form of a membranous sac filled with fluid or soft tissue. |
