Medical terms - Letter G (page 8) | MedicalVocabulary.org

Globus hystericus

The sensation of having a lump in the throat when there is nothing there. Sometimes simply called globus. Globus hystericus is a symptom of some physical disorders such as reflux laryngitis as well as a classic sign of…
Globus major

The globus major is the head of the epididymis, the structure just behind the testis. The globus minor is the lower end of the epididymis. Globus is a Latin word meaning (not unexpectedly) a globe or sphere. The…
Globus minor

The globus minor is the tail of the epididymis, a cordlike structure just behind the testis. The globus major is the head of the epididymis. In terms of orientation, the globus minor is the lower end of the epididymis…
Globus pallidus

A pale-appearing spherical area in the brain. The globus pallidus is part of what is called the lentiform nucleus which, in turn, is part of the striate body, a component of the basal ganglia, large masses of gray…
Glomerular

Pertaining to the glomerulus, a tiny structure in the kidney that filters the blood to form urine
Glomeruli

The plural of glomerulus
Glomerulus

1.In the kidney, a tiny ball-shaped structure composed of capillary blood vessels actively involved in the filtration of the blood to form urine. The glomerulus is one of the key structures that make up the nephron, the…
Glossal

Of or pertaining to the tongue. Glossal is used as both an adjective and a compound word, as in hypoglossal nerve and thyroglossal cyst. From the Greek glossa meaning tongue
Glossitis

Inflammation of the tongue
Glossolalia

Nonsensical sounds that mimic the rhythms and inflections of actual speech. Glossolalia may be seen in deep sleep or in trance states. It is also the scientific term for the trance-induced religious phenomena known as…
Glossopharyngeal nerve

The glossopharyngeal nerve is the ninth cranial nerve. The 12 cranial nerves, the glossopharyngeal nerve included, emerge from or enter the skull (the cranium), as opposed to the spinal nerves which emerge from the…
Glottis

The middle part of the larynx, the area where the vocal cords are located
Glu

Glutamic acid. See also: Amino acid symbols
Glucocentric

Focused on glucose, particularly to the exclusion of other factors. As in 'We have a body of evidence and the consensus of concern that we need to reduce cardiovascular disease - the No. 1 killer of diabetics and…
Glucocerebrosidase deficiency

Causes type 1 Gaucher disease, a progressive genetic disease due to an enzyme defect. The enzyme, glucocerebrosidase, is needed to break down the chemical glucocerebroside. The enzyme defect leads to the progressive…
Glucocorticoid

A hormone that predominantly affects the metabolism of carbohydrates and, to a lesser extent, fats and proteins (and has other effects). Glucocorticoids are made in the outside portion (the cortex) of the adrenal gland…
Glucosamine

A molecule derived from the sugar glucose by the addition of an amino (NH2) group, glucosamine is a component of a number of structures including the blood group substances and cartilage. Glucosamine is a nutritional…
Glucose

Glucose: The simple sugar (monosaccharide) that serves as the chief source of energy in the body. Glucose is the principal sugar the body makes. The body makes glucose from proteins, fats and, in largest part…
Glucose tolerance test

See: Impaired glucose tolerance.
Glucose tolerance, impaired

See: Impaired glucose tolerance
Glucose, fasting blood

Glucose, fasting blood: A method for learning how much glucose (sugar) there is in a blood sample taken after an overnight fast. The fasting blood glucose test is commonly used in the detection of diabetes mellitus. A…
Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD)

Deficiency of G6PD is the commonest disease-causing enzyme defect in humans affecting an estimated 400 million people. The G6PD gene is on the X chromosome. Males with the enzyme deficiency develop anemia due to breakup…
Glucuronosyltransferase, UDP-

A liver enzyme essential to the disposal of bilirubin (the chemical that results from the normal breakdown of hemoglobin from red blood cells). An abnormality of this enzyme (UDP-glucuronosyltransferase) results in a…
Glutamate

A form of glutamic acid. See: Glutamic acid
Glutamic acid

An amino acid, one of the 20 building blocks of protein. A nonessential amino acid, glutamic acid is present in many animal and plant proteins. It is involved in ammonia metabolism and serves as a neurotransmitter…
Glutamine

An amino acid, one of the 20 building blocks of protein. Glutamine is present in plant and animal proteins. It can be synthesized by the body and is therefore not essential to the diet. Glutamine serves as an important…
Glutathione S-transferase

A family of enzymes that utilize glutathione in reactions contributing to the transformation of a wide range of compounds, including carcinogens, therapeutic drugs, and products of oxidative stress. These enzymes play a…
Glutathione S-transferase omega-1

An enzyme that remarkably influences the age of onset of symptoms of two common degenerative brain disorders -- both Alzheimer disease and Parkinson disease. Glutathione S-transferase omega-1 (GSTO1) belongs to a family…
Glutathione S-transferase, omega-1

See: Glutathione S-transferase omega-1
Gluteal

Pertaining to the buttock region formed by the gluteal muscles (the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus). The gluteal muscles extend the thighs and help support the body in standing. The gluteal muscles…
Gluten

A protein found in wheat or related grains and many foods that we eat. Gluten can be found in a large variety of foods including soups, salad dressings, processed foods and natural flavorings. Unidentified starch…
Gluten enteropathy

A condition, also called celiac sprue, in which the absorption of food nutrients through the small intestine is impaired by an immune (allergic) reaction to gluten, a protein found in wheat or related grains and many…
Gluteus maximus

The greatest gluteal muscle and the biggest muscle in the human body. The gluteus maximus forms the bulk of the buttocks. It acts to extend the upper leg, spread it, and turn it outward. There are two other gluteal…
Gly

Glycine. See also: Amino acid symbols
Glycemic index

An indicator of the ability of different types of foods that contain carbohydrate to raise the blood glucose levels within 2 hours. Foods containing carbohydrates that break down most quickly during digestion have the…
Glycine

An amino acid, one of the 20 building blocks of protein. A nonessential amino acid, glycine is part of many proteins, participates in purine synthesis, and is a neurotransmitter. Symbol: Gly
Glycobiology

The study of molecules that contain carbohydrates, their structure and function, and the roles they play in biology. The extracellular matrix was long believed to merely be a static support with only limited influence…
Glycogen storage disease

One of the 14 recognized diseases that interfere with the storage of carbohydrates as glycogen in the body. See also: McArdle disease
Glycogen storage disease type V

One of the 14 recognized diseases that interfere with the storage of carbohydrates as glycogen in the body. Type V is the most common of the glycogen storage diseases and is associated with exercise intolerance. It is…
Glycohemoglobin

Also known as glycosylated hemoglobin, hemoglobin to which glucose is bound, a measure of the long-term control of diabetes mellitus. The level of glycohemoglobin is increased in the red blood cells of persons with…
Glycopeptide

A short chain of amino acids that has sugar molecules attached to it. A glycoprotein is similar in structure to a glycopeptide but has a longer chain of amino acids
Glycoprotein

A molecule that consists of a carbohydrate plus a protein. Glycoproteins play essential roles in the body. For instance, in the immune system almost all of the key molecules involved in the immune response are…
Glycosylated hemoglobin

Hemoglobin to which glucose is bound. Glycosylated hemoglobin is tested to monitor the long-term control of diabetes mellitus. The level of glycosylated hemoglobin is increased in the red blood cells of persons with…
Gm (gram)

The abbreviation gm stands for gram, a unit of measurement of weight and mass in the metric system. In weight, a gram is equal to a thousandth of a kilogram. In mass, a gram is equal to a thousandth of a liter (one…
GM1 gangliosidosis

A genetic lipid storage disorder that is similar in certain respects to Hurler syndrome and Tay-Sachs disease but which affects both the brain and the viscera (the internal organs). GM1 gangliosidosis causes skeletal…
GM2-gangliosidosis, B variant

This disorder known as Tay-Sachs disease (TSD) is concisely defined by OMIM (Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man) as 'an autosomal recessive, progressive neurodegenerative disorder, which in the classic infantile form…
GM2-gangliosidosis, type 1

This disorder known as Tay-Sachs disease (TSD) is concisely defined by OMIM (Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man) as 'an autosomal recessive, progressive neurodegenerative disorder, which in the classic infantile form…
Gnashing

Grinding the teeth. More formally called 'bruxism.' Gnashing, or bruxism, is due to clenching of the teeth other than in chewing and is associated with forceful lateral or protrusive jaw movements. This results in…
Gnathostomiasis

A disease due to the migration of an immature roundworm called Gnathostoma. Migration just under the skin causes migratory, painful, itchy swellings. Migration to other tissues can result in cough, blood in the urine…
God bless you

Interjection used especially when someone has sneezed. In this situation, 'God bless you' is more or less equivalent to saying 'Gesundheit.' In German 'Gesundheit' means 'health' (and 'sanity'). Wishing 'good health'…