Medical terms - Letter H (page 12) | MedicalVocabulary.org

Hormone, aldosterone

A hormone made by the outer portion (cortex) of the adrenal gland that regulates the balance of salt and water in the body. Pronounced AL·do·ste·rone. Aldosterone is secreted in response to low salt levels. Aldosterone…
Hormone, androgenic

Any hormone that promotes the development and maintenance of the male sex characteristics. Testosterone is an androgen. (It is the major androgen.
Hormone, antidiuretic (ADH)

A relatively small (peptide) molecule that is released by the pituitary gland at the base of the brain after being made nearby (in the hypothalamus). ADH has an antidiuretic action that prevents the production of dilute…
Hormone, cortisol

The primary stress hormone. Cortisol is the major natural glucocorticoid in humans
Hormone, erythropoietin

Erythropoietin is a substance produced by the kidney that leads to the formation of red blood cells in the bone marrow. Abbreviated: EPO. The kidney cells that make EPO are specialized and are sensitive to low oxygen…
Hormone, estrogenic

A female hormone produced by the ovaries (or an equivalent hormone synthesized in the laboratory). Estrogen deficiency can lead to osteoporosis.
Hormone, follicle-stimulating (FSH)

A hormone produced by the pituitary gland that controls estrogen production by the ovaries
Hormone, 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…
Hormone, growth

A hormone made in the pituitary gland that stimulates the release of another hormone called somatomedin by the liver, thereby causing growth. Growth hormone is synonymous with somatotropin and somatropin. More…
Hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin

A group of hormones, the most important being aldosterone, that regulate the balance of water and electrolytes (ions such as sodium and potassium) in the body. The mineralocorticoid hormones act specifically on the…
Hormone, mineralocorticoid

A group of hormones, the most important being aldosterone, that regulate the balance of water and electrolytes (ions such as sodium and potassium) in the body. The mineralocorticoid hormones act specifically on the…
Hormone, parathormone

Hormone made by the parathyroid gland (behind the thyroid gland in the neck). Parathormone (pronounced para-thor-mone) is critical to calcium and phosphorus balance. Deficiency of parathormone results in abnormally low…
Hormone, parathyrin

See Hormone, parathormone
Hormone, parathyroid

See Hormone, parathormone
Hormone, progesterone

A female hormone, progesterone is the principal progestational hormone. Progestational hormones prepare the uterus (the womb) to receive and sustain the fertilized egg
Hormone, secretin

Hormone made by glands in the small intestine that stimulates pancreatic secretion. The word 'hormone' was coined by the English physiologists Wm. M. Bayliss and Ernest H. Starling in connection with their discovery of…
Hormone, T3

Triiodothyronine, a thyroid hormone. The number 3 is usually in subscript
Hormone, thyroid

Chemical substance made by the thyroid gland which is located in the front of the neck. The thyroid gland uses iodine to make thyroid hormones. The two most important thyroid hormones are thyroxine (T4) and…
Hormone, thyroid stimulating (TSH)

A hormone produced by the pituitary gland at the base of the brain in response to signals from the hypothalamus gland in the brain. TSH promotes the growth of the thyroid gland in the neck and stimulates it to produce…
Hormone, thyrotropin

A hormone produced by the pituitary gland at the base of the brain in response to signals from the hypothalamus gland in the brain. The suffix -tropin indicates 'an affinity for'. Thyrotropin has an affinity for the…
Hormone, thyroxine

A chemical substance made by the thyroid gland The thyroid gland uses iodine to make thyroid hormones. Thyroxine (T4), one of the most important thyroid hormones, has four iodine molecules attached to its molecular…
Hormone, triiodothyronine

A hormone made by the thyroid gland. It has three iodine molecules attached to its molecular structure. Iodine is naturally found in seafood, bread, seaweed, and ordinary table salt. Triiodothyronine is the most…
Hormone, TSH

Stands for Thyroid Stimulating Hormone. Also known as thyrotropin
Hormone,T4

Thyroxine
Horner 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…
Hornet sting

Stings from hornets and other large stinging insects such as bees, yellow jackets and wasps can trigger allergic reactions varying greatly in severity. Avoidance and prompt treatment are essential. In selected cases…
Horripilation

Better known as goose bumps, a temporary local change in the skin when it becomes rougher due to erection of little muscles, as from cold, fear, or excitement. The chain of events leading to this skin change starts with…
Horror autotoxicus

Literally, the horror of self-toxicity. A term coined by the great German bacteriologist and immunologist Paul Ehrlich (1854-1915) to describe the body's innate aversion to immunological self-destruction. However, as we…
Hospice

A program or facility that provides special care for people who are near the end of life and for their families. Hospice care can be provided at home, in a hospice or another freestanding facility, or within a hospital…
Hospice care

Care designed to give supportive care to people in the final phase of a terminal illness and focus on comfort and quality of life, rather than cure. The goal is to enable patients to be comfortable and free of pain, so…
Hospital

It may seem unnecessary to define a 'hospital' since everyone knows the nature of a hospital. A hospital began as a charitable institution for the needy, aged, infirm, or young. The word 'hospital' comes from the Latin…
Hospital code

While there is no formal definition for a 'Code,' doctors often use the term as slang to refer to a patient in cardiopulmonary arrest , requiring a team of providers (sometimes called a 'code team') to rush to the…
Hospital gown

A short collarless gown that ties in the back, worn by patients being examined or treated in a doctor's office, clinic, or hospital. Hospital gowns are generally disliked by patients as skimpy, ugly, ill-fitting…
Hospital-acquired infection

An infection caught while hospitalized. The medical term for a hospital-acquired infection is 'nosocomial.' Most nosocomial infections are due to bacteria. Since antibiotics are frequently used within hospitals, the…
Hospitalist

A hospital-based general physician. Hospitalists assume the care of hospitalized patients in the place of patients' primary care physician. The term 'hospitalist' was first introduced in 1996 by RM Wachter and L Goldman…
Host

1. The organism from which a parasite obtains its nutrition and/or shelter.2. An organism or cell culture in which a virus can replicate itself.3. The transplant recipient of a tissue or organ graft.
Hot flashes

A sudden wave of mild or intense body heat caused by rushes of hormonal changes resulting from decreased levels of estrogen. Hot flashes can occur at any time and may last from a few seconds to a half-hour. They are due…
Hotel-Dieu

A name often given to a hospital in France during the Middle Ages. Hotel-Dieu literally means the hotel (of) God. In Paris, the Hôtel-Dieu is a venerable and famed hospital. A hospital can also be a place to take care…
Hounsfield

1. Godfrey Hounsfield, a key contributor to the creation of the CAT scanner.2. The unit measuring the brightness of images that appear on a CAT scanner
Hounsfield, Godfrey

(1919-2004) British electrical engineer whose contributions to the creation of the computerized axial tomography scanner (the CAT scan) won him a share of the 1979 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1979…
House

Hospital. As in house officer, house staff, and house surgeon
House officer

A resident physician and surgeon of a hospital (the 'house') who is receives further training, usually in a medical or surgical specialty, while caring for patients under the direction of the attending staff
House staff

The resident physicians of a hospital who care for patients under the direction of the attending staff. House in this context refers to the hospital
House surgeon

Literally, a surgeon in the house, the house being the hospital. The meaning of the term house surgeon varies significantly from country to country. For example, > >In the US, a house surgeon is a surgeon who works for…
Houseboat carbon monoxide poisoning

The invisible and potentially lethal danger of carbon monoxide on houseboats. Carbon monoxide poisoning is a danger when gasoline-powered engines are run in enclosed spaces. Severe carbon monoxide poisoning can also…
Housekeeping gene

A gene involved in basic functions needed for the sustenance of the cell. Housekeeping genes are constitutively expressed (they are always turned ON)
Housemaid's knee

See Prepatellar bursitis
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

The largest private source of medical research funds in the United States. The Institute is one of the world's largest philanthropies. It has medical research laboratories across the US and grants programs throughout…
Hox gene

One of a subgroup of homeobox genes that are found in clusters on the genes of vertebrates. These are referred to as Hox clusters in mammals. Hox clusters play a role in directing embryonic development
HPE

Holoprosencephaly