Medical terms - Letter B (page 5) | MedicalVocabulary.org

Bergstrom, Sune K

(1916-2004) Swedish physician and scientist who was awarded the Nobel prize for physiology or medicine in 1982 for isolating and elucidating the chemical structure of prostaglandins. The main breakthrough in…
Beriberi

A syndrome characterized by inflammation of multiple nerves (polyneuritis), heart disease (cardiopathy), and edema (swelling) due to a deficiency of thiamine (vitamin B1) in the diet
Beriberi, infantile

See: Infantile beriberi
Berlin Heart

The name of a company in Berlin, Germany and of a ventricular assist device it makes. The device works by helping the right ventricle of the heart to pump blood to the lungs and the left ventricle to pump blood to the…
Bernard syndrome

A complex of abnormal findings, namely sinking in of one eyeball, ipsilateral ptosis (drooping of the upper eyelid on the same side) and miosis (constriction of the pupil of that eye) together with anhidrosis (lack of…
Bernard, Christiaan

South African surgeon (1922-2001) who pioneered cardiac transplantation. Dr. Bernard did the world's first heart transplant on December 3, 1967. The heart donor was Denise Darvall, a 25-year old woman, struck by an…
Bernard-Horner syndrome

See: Horner syndrome
Bernard-Soulier syndrome

Nt platelet syndrome): The Bernard-Soulier syndrome is a primary problem of platelets in which the platelets lack the ability to stick adequately to injured blood vessel walls. This is a crucial aspect of the process of…
Bernstein test

A test to find out if heartburn is caused by acid in the esophagus and so to diagnose GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). The test involves dripping a mild acid, similar to stomach acid, through a tube placed in the…
Berry aneurysm

A berry aneurysm is a small outpouching (an aneurysm) that looks like a berry and classically occurs at the point at which a cerebral artery departs from the circular artery (the circle of Willis) at the base of the…
Berserk

Frenzied, enraged. From the Norse berserkr, one of the old Norse warriors who worked themselves into a frenzy
Berylliosis

Beryllium poisoning. See: Beryllium
Beryllium

A toxic metal found in ores containing other elements that is used in making metal alloys for nuclear reactors and the aerospace industry. Acute exposure to beryllium fumes can cause a severe, sometimes fatal…
Berzelius

See: Berzelius, Jons Jacob
Berzelius, Jons Jacob

Celebrated Swedish chemist (1779-1848). Berzelius's early life was marked by a struggle to obtain a satisfactory education. In 1796 he entered the University of Uppsala but his studies were interrupted because of lack…
Beta adrenergic blocking agents

A class of drugs, also called beta blockers, that block beta-adrenergic substances such as adrenaline (epinephrine), a key agent in the 'sympathetic' portion of the autonomic (involuntary) nervous system. By blocking…
Beta agonist

See: Beta-agonist
Beta blocker

A class of drugs that block beta-adrenergic substances such as adrenaline (epinephrine) in the 'sympathetic' portion of the autonomic (involuntary) nervous system. By blocking the action of the sympathetic nervous…
Beta carotene

A vitamin that acts as an antioxidant, protecting cells against oxidation damage. Beta carotene is converted by the body to vitamin A. Food sources of beta carotene include vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes…
Beta cell

A type of cell in the pancreas. Within the pancreas, the beta cells are located in areas called the islets of Langerhans where they constitute the predominant type of cell. The beta cells make and release insulin, a…
Beta cell, pancreatic

A type of cell in the pancreas (the organ of the digestive system located behind the stomach). Within the pancreas, the beta cells are located in areas called the islets of Langerhans. They constitute the predominant…
Beta error

The statistical error (said to be 'of the second kind' or type II) made in testing when it is concluded that something is negative when it really is positive. Beta error is often referred to as a false negative
Beta particle

An electron ejected from the nucleus of a decaying atom. Although beta particles can be stopped by a thin sheet of aluminum, they can penetrate the dead skin layer, potentially causing burns. They can pose a serious…
Beta protein 1

Abbreviated and better known as BP1. See: BP1
Beta-2 agonist

See: Beta-agonist
Beta-agonist

A bronchodilator medicine that opens the airways by relaxing the muscles around the airways that may tighten during an asthma attack or in COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Beta-agonists can be administered…
Beta-defensin

See: Defensin
Beta-secretase

An enzyme that appears to be directly involved in the early development of Alzheimer's disease. Beta-secretase is a protease (an enzyme that catalyses the splitting of interior peptide bonds in a protein)…
Betel nut

The nut of the Areca palm tree and an ingredient of betel nut quid, an addictive mix chewed in some Pacific and Asian cultures. Its use is associated with aggressive oral cancers affecting especially the inner lining of…
Bevacizumab

Generic name for a monoclonal antibody anticancer drug. See: Avastin
Beverly Hills diet

The Beverly Hills diet is a weight loss plan based upon the premise that eating certain fruits leads to chemical reactions in the body that enhance weight loss. Only fruit is consumed for the first period (usually 10…
Bextra

D>NOTE: April 7, 2005, Pfizer agreed to suspend sales and marketing of Bextra in the U.S., pending further discussions with the with the FDA. For more information, please read the FDA press release. Bextra: Brand name…
Bezoar

A clump or wad of swallowed food and/or hair. Bezoars can sometimes be found to cause blockage of the digestive system, especially at the exit of the stomach. When a bezoar is composed of hair, it is referred to as a…
BF

Abbreviation for 'black female' used by doctors as shorthand when jotting down the results of their physical examination. For example, a WDWNBF = well developed, well nourished black female; WDWNWF = well developed…
Bi-

Prefix meaning two, as in biceps or bicuspid
BIA

Bioelectric impedance analysis
Biallelic

Pertaining to both alleles (both alternative forms of a gene). For example, biallelic mutations in the gene MYH predispose to colon cancer
Bias

1. When a point of view prevents impartial judgment on issues relating to the subject of that point of view. In a clinical trial, bias refers to effects that a conclusion that may be incorrect as, for example, when a…
Bicarbonate

In medicine, bicarbonate usually refers to bicarbonate of soda (sodium bicarbonate, baking soda) white powder that is common ingredient in antacids. Also, the bicarbonate level is an indirect measure of the acidity of…
Biceps

The biceps is a muscle that has two heads or origins. In Latin, biceps means two-headed and is derived from 'bis', twice + 'caput', head. There is more than one biceps muscle. The biceps brachii is the well-known flexor…
Bicornuate

Having two horns or horn-shaped branches. The uterus (normally unicornuate) can sometimes be bicornuate (with two branches, eg, one at about 10:30 and the other at about 1:30)
Bicuspid

Having two flaps or cusps. The heart valve that is called the bicuspid valve is located between the left atrium and left ventricle. Although the aortic valve in the heart normally is tricuspid (with three cusps), it may…
Bicuspid aortic valve

Whereas the normal aortic valve in the heart has three flaps (cusps) that open and close, a bicuspid valve has only two. There may be no symptoms in childhood, but in time the valve may become stenotic (narrowed)…
Bicuspid valve

One of the four valves of the heart, this valve is situated between the left atrium and the left ventricle. It permits blood to flow one way only, from the left atrium into the left ventricle This valve is more commonly…
Bicycle helmet

A well-known but often neglected device designed to protect the head of a bicyclist. Helmets decrease the risk of head injuries (traumatic brain damage) by about 85%. However, only about 18% of bicyclists in the US use…
Bid (on prescription)

Seen on a prescription, bid means twice (two times) a day. It is an abbreviation for 'bis in die' which in Latin means twice a day. The abbreviation bid is sometimes written without a period either in lower-case letters…
Biermer's anemia

Anemia: A blood disorder caused by a lack of vitamin B12. Patients who have this disorder do not produce the substance in the stomach that allows the body to absorb vitamin B12. This substance is called intrinsic factor…
Bietti crystalline dystrophy

A genetic eye disease that leads to progressive night blindness and visual field constriction and is characterized by the formation of crystals in the cornea (the clear covering of the eye), yellow shiny deposits on the…
Bifid

Cleft (split) in two. See, for example, bifid uvula
Bifid uvula

The uvula, the little V-shaped fleshy mass hanging from the back of the soft palate, is cleft or split. Cleft uvula is a common minor anomaly occurring in about 1% of whites and 10% of Native Americans. Persons with a…