Medical terms - Letter A (page 20) | MedicalVocabulary.org

Anorexic

1. Pertaining to anorexia, lack of appetite.2. A drug or other agent that causes anorexia and so diminishes the appetite
Anorexigenic

Causing anorexia (loss of appetite) as, for example, an anorexigenic drug
Anorgasmia

Failure to achieve orgasm (climax) during sexual intercourse. Anorgasmia can result from many causes including stress, anxiety, depression, fatigue, worry, guilt, fear of painful intercourse, fear of pregnancy, the…
Anorgasmy

Or anorgasmia. Failure of a male or female to achieve an orgasm (climax) during sexual intercourse. Anorgasmia is characterized by psychologists as a 'psychosexual dysfunction,' a sexual maladjustment that is…
Anoscope

An Anoscope is an instrument used for visualization of the anus and lowest portion of the rectum. An anoscope is a tube that can be inserted with a lubricant into the anal canal. When the tube is inserted, a light…
Anoscopy

Anoscopy is a procedure used to visualize the wall of the anus and lowest portion of the rectum. Anoscopy can be performed in the doctor's office without any special preparation to empty the colon. The anoscope is the…
Anosmia

No sense of smell, due to loss of the sense of smell or failure for it to develop. Loss of the sense of smell can be due to a number of things including swelling within the nose that prevents odors from gaining access…
Anotia

No ear. The term 'anotia' usually refers to congenital (from birth) absence of the external ear, the auricle, the visible part of the ear.
Anovular

Not accompanied by ovulation, the release of an ovum (egg) from the ovary. Synonymous with anovulatory
Anovular menstruation

Menstruation without ovulation. The egg stays within the ovary and usually disintegrates but sometimes it is fertilized, resulting in a life-threatening pregnancy within the ovary
Anovulatory

Not accompanied by ovulation, the release of an ovum (egg) from the ovary. For example, anovulatory menstruation. Synonymous with anovular
Anoxia

1. Strictly speaking, the absence of oxygen. 2. The near absence of oxygen. 3. Sometimes used loosely as a synonym for hypoxia. From an- (without) + -ox- (oxygen) + -ia == the state of being without oxygen.
Anoxic

Pertaining to anoxia, an absence or near absence of oxygen
Ant, fire

Also called thief ants, a scourge, these red or yellow ants of small-to-medium size, originally from South America, have a severe sting that burns like fire and can trigger an allergic reaction. Avoidance and prompt…
Antagonist

In biochemistry, an antagonist acts against and blocks an action. For example, insulin lowers the level of glucose (sugar) in the blood, whereas another hormone called glucagon raises it; therefore, insulin and glucagon…
Antean

Exceptionally strong or large. A multi-vitamin pill may, for example, be of Antean proportions. After Antaeus, the mythological Greek giant. The son of the earth mother Gaia, Antaeus challenged anyone he encountered to…
Antegrade

Forward-moving. As in blood flow. Sometimes synonymous with anterograde. From the Latin ante- + gradior, to step
Antegrade amnesia

Amnesia in which the loss of memory relates to events that occur after a traumatic event. There is inability to recall new information. Old information can be recalled. Antegrade amnesia may follow brain trauma. Also…
Antenatal surgery

The surgical treatment of the fetus before birth. Also called prenatal surgery or, most often, fetal surgery. Fetal surgery is done when the fetus is not expected to live long enough to make it through to delivery or to…
Anterior

The front, as opposed to the posterior. The anterior surface of the heart is toward the breast bone (the sternum). For a more complete listing of terms used in medicine for spatial orientation, please see the entry to…
Anterior chamber

The space in the eye that is behind the cornea and in front of the iris. The cornea is the outer, transparent, dome-like structure that covers the iris, pupil, and the anterior chamber. The iris is the colored ring of…
Anterior cruciate injury

A knee injury involving the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The ACL runs diagonally across the front of the knee from the underside of the femur (the thigh bone) to the top of the tibia (the bigger bone in the lower…
Anterior cruciate ligament

A ligament in the knee that crosses from the underside of the femur (the thigh bone) to the top of the tibia (the bigger bone in the lower leg). Abbreviated ACL. Injuries to the ACL can occur in a number of situations…
Anterior pituitary

The front portion of the pituitary, a small gland in the head called the master gland. Hormones secreted by the anterior pituitary influence growth, sexual development, skin pigmentation, thyroid function, and…
Anterior tongue

The front two-thirds of the tongue. In contrast to the base of the tongue, which is the back third. The distinction between the anterior and base of the tongue reflects the fact that they are of different embryological…
Antero-

Prefix signifying before, earlier, front. From the Latin anterior meaning before
Anterograde

Moving forward or extending forward. Anterograde memory is memory for what occurs after an event such as an accident. Also called antegrade. From the Latin antero- + gredior (to step or go)
Anterograde amnesia

See: Antegrade amnesia
Anterograde memory

Loss of short-term memory with retention of memories from the distant past (long-term memory)
Anteroposterior

From front to back. When a chest x-ray is taken with the back against the film plate and the x-ray machine in front of the patient it is called an anteroposterior (AP) view. As opposed to from back to front (which is…
Anteroposterior (AP)

In anatomy, AP stands for anteroposterior: from front-to-back. For example, an AP X-ray of the chest is taken from front-to-back. AP in this respect is the opposite of PA, which stands for posteroanterior: from…
Anthophobia

An abnormal and persistent fear of flowers. Sufferers experience anxiety even though they realize they face no threat from flowers. Any genus or species of flowers can instill fear, as can any flower part, such as a…
Anthracycline

A member of a family of chemotherapy drugs that are also antibiotics. The anthracyclines act to prevent cell division by disrupting the structure of the DNA and terminate its function. They do so in two ways: (1) they…
Anthrax

=4 cel ODYvAlign=top bgColor=#cccccc colSpan=2> vAlign=top width='100%' bgColor=#ffffff>Our Anthrax Main Article provides a comprehensive look at the who, what, when and how of Anthrax Anthrax: A serious bacterial…
Anthrax immunization

Anthrax immunization: A series of six shots over six months and booster shots annually, the anthrax vaccine now in use in the USA was first developed in the 1950s and approved by the Food and Drug Administration for…
Anthrax toxin

The toxic substance secreted by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of the disease anthrax. Anthrax toxin is made up of three proteins. One is protective antigen and two are enzymes that are called…
Anthropology, forensic

Forensic: See: Forensic anthropology
Anti CCP

See: Citrulline antibody
Anti-

Prefix generally meaning 'against, opposite or opposing, and contrary.' In medicine, anti- often connotes 'counteracting or effective against' as in antibacterial, anti-infective, and antiviral. Sometimes medical terms…
Anti-angiogenesis drugs

These drugs, which include angiostatin and Endostatin, halt the process of developing new blood vessels (angiogenesis). Angiostatin is a piece of a larger and very common protein, plasminogen, that the body uses in…
Anti-CCP

See: Citrulline antibody
Anti-citrulline antibody

See: Citrulline antibody
Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody

See: Citrulline antibody
Anti-emetic

See: Antiemetic
Anti-infective

Something capable of acting against infection, by inhibiting the spread of an infectious agent or by killing the infectious agent outright. Anti-infective is a general term that encompasses antibacterials, antibiotics…
Anti-platelet agents

Medications that, like aspirin, reduce the tendency of platelets in the blood to clump and clot
Anti-reflux surgery (fundoplication)

A surgical technique that strengthens the barrier to acid reflux when the lower esophageal sphincter does not work normally and there is gastro-esophageal reflux. Fundoplication has been the standard surgical method for…
Antiandrogen

A drug that blocks the action of androgens (male sex hormones). Antiandrogens are sometimes used in the treatment of prostate cancer. The antiandrogens currently available include flutamide (Eulexin), bicalutamide…
Antiatherogenic mutation

A genetic mutation that protects against atherogenesis, the formation of atheromas (plaques) in arteries. Antiatherogenic mutations include CETP deficiency (cholesterol ester transfer protein deficiency) and familial…
Antibacterial

Anything that destroys bacteria or suppresses their growth or their ability to reproduce. Heat, chemicals such as chlorine, and antibiotic drugs all have antibacterial properties. Many antibacterial products for…