Medical terms - Letter A
1,573 terms start with the letter A.
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Avery, MacLeod, and McCarty
Authors of a scientific paper entitled 'Studies on the chemical nature of the substance inducing transformation of pneumococcal types' that was published on Feb. 1, 1944, in the Journal of Experimental Medicine…
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Avery, Oswald Theodore
(1877-1955) Distinguished Canadian-American bacteriologist and research physician and one of the founders of immunochemistry. He is best known, however, as a discoverer that deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) serves as genetic…
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Avian flu
See: Avian influenza
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Avian influenza
Also called fowl plague, avian flu, and bird flu. A highly contagious viral disease with up to 100% mortality in domestic fowl. Caused by influenza A virus subtypes H5 and H7. All types of birds are susceptible to the…
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Avian tuberculosis
See: Tuberculosis, avian
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AVM
An AVM (arteriovenous malformation) is a congenital disorder (one present at birth) of blood vessels in the brain, brainstem, or spinal cord that is characterized by a complex, tangled web of abnormal arteries and veins…
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AVM (arteriovenous malformation)
An arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is a congenital disorder (one present at birth) of blood vessels in the brain, brainstem, or spinal cord that is characterized by a complex, tangled web of abnormal arteries and veins…
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AVN
Avascular necrosis
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Avulse
To separate or tear away a body part, as from an accident or surgery. While playing football, he avulsed a spinous process
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Avulsion
Tearing away. A nerve can be avulsed by an injury, as can part of a bone.
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Avuncular
1. Literally, relating to an uncle. 2. Figuratively, suggestive of an uncle, as in geniality. 3 In medical genetics, pertaining to an aunt or uncle. An avuncular relationship is the genetic relationship between aunts…
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Axelrod
See: Axelrod, Julius
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Axelrod, Julius
(1912- ) American pharmacologist and neuroscientist who shared the 1970 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery of the actions of neurotransmitters in regulating the metabolism of the nervous system…
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Axial tomography, computerized
Pictures of structures within the body created by a computer that takes the data from multiple X-ray images and turns them in pictures. The CAT (computerized axial tomography) scan can reveal some soft-tissue and other…
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Axilla
The cavity beneath the junction of the arm and the body, better known as the armpit. The word 'axilla' was borrowed directly from the Latin. To the Romans, as to us, the axilla was just the armpit.
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Axillary
Pertaining to the cavity beneath the junction of the arm and the body, better known as the armpit. The word 'axilla' was borrowed directly from the Latin. To the Romans, as to us, the axilla was just the armpit.
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Axillary dissection
Surgery in which the axilla (the armpit) is opened -- to 'dissect' means to 'cut apart' -- in order to identify, examine, and sometimes remove structures such as lymph nodes or other tissue for diagnosis or treatment
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Axillary hyperhidrosis
Hyperhidrosis: Excessive sweating from the armpits. Excessive underarm perspiration tends to start in late adolescence
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Axis
The axis is the second cervical vertebra (symbol: C2). It is called the 'axis' because the uppermost cervical vertebra (called the atlas) rotates about the odontoid process of C2. The joint between the axis and atlas is…
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Axon
A long fiber of a nerve cell (a neuron) that acts somewhat like a fiber-optic cable carrying outgoing (efferent) messages. The neuron sends electrical impulses from its cell body through the axon to target cells. Each…
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Ayurveda
India's traditional, natural system of medicine that has been practiced for more than 5,000 years. Ayurveda provides an integrated approach to preventing and treating illness through lifestyle interventions and natural…
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Azoospermia
No sperm at all. The ejaculate is completely devoid of sperm. By contrast, in oligospermia (literally, few sperm) there are some sperm, but fewer than normal.
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Azotemia
A higher than normal blood level of urea or other nitrogen containing compounds in the blood. The hallmark test is the serum BUN (blood urea nitrogen) level. Usually caused by the inability of the kidney to excrete…