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

Insufficiency, aortic

See: Aortic insufficiency
Insufficiency, coronary

See: Coronary insufficiency
Insufficiency, mitral

See: Mitral insufficiency
Insufficiency, pancreatic

See: Pancreatic insufficiency
Insufficiency, pulmonary

See: Pulmonary insufficiency
Insufficiency, respiratory

See: Respiratory insufficiency
Insufficiency, small intestine

See: Short bowel syndrome
Insular sclerosis

See: Multiple sclerosis
Insulin

Insulin: A natural hormone made by the pancreas that controls the level of the sugar glucose in the blood. Insulin permits cells to use glucose for energy. Cells cannot utilize glucose without insulin. Diabetes: The…
Insulin pump

A pump for delivering insulin in order to achieve tight blood sugar control and lifestyle flexibility while minimizing the effects of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). The pump is composed of a pump reservoir similar to…
Insulin resistance

Insulin resistance: The diminished ability of cells to respond to the action of insulin in transporting glucose (sugar) from the bloodstream into muscle and other tissues. Insulin resistance typically develops with…
Insulin resistance syndrome

Insulin resistance syndrome: See: Metabolic syndrome
Insulin-dependent diabetes

See Diabetes, type 1
Insulinoma

A tumor of the beta cells in areas of the pancreas called the islets of Langerhans. Although not usually cancerous, such tumors may cause the body to make extra insulin and may lead to hypoglycemia, a blood glucose…
Integrin

One of a large and very important family of adhesion molecules that promote stable interactions between cells and their environment. The integrins also act as cellular sensor and signaling molecules. Integrins contain…
Integron

A mobile DNA element that can capture and carry genes, particularly those responsible for antibiotic resistance. Integrons do this by site-specific recombination. There are at least three classes of integrons based upon…
Intelligence quotient

An attempt to measure the intelligence of someone. Abbreviated IQ. The IQ score is usually based upon the results of a written test. To calculate the IQ, the person's mental age as determined by a test is divided by…
Intelligence test

A questionnaire or series of exercises designed to measure intelligence. It is generally understood that intelligence tests are less a measure of innate ability to learn as of what the person tested has already learned…
Intelligence, non-verbal

Innate or learned ability to understand and carry out motor tasks, such as solving physical puzzles. Also called performance IQ
Intelligence, verbal

Innate or learned ability to understand and answer questions given in writing or verbally
Intensity modulated radiation therapy

IMRT. A type of three-dimensional radiation therapy that uses computer-generated images to match radiation to the size and shape of a tumor. In IMRT, thousands of tiny radiation beamlets enter the body from many angles…
Intensive care

See critical care
Intensive care unit psychosis

A disorder in which patients in an intensive care unit (ICU) or a similar hospital setting may experience anxiety, become paranoid, hear voices, see things that are not there, become severely disoriented in time and…
Intensivist

A physician who specializes in the care of critically ill patients, usually in an intensive care unit (ICU)
Interatrial septum

The partition separating the upper chambers (the atria) of the heart
Intercellular

Between cells, as in an intercellular bridge
Intercellular junction

A specialized region of connection between two cells
Intercostal muscle

Muscle tissue between two ribs. This muscle is a type called skeletal muscle
Intercurrent disease

A disease that intervenes during the course of another disease. A patient with AIDS may develop an intercurrent bout of pneumonia
Interferon

Interferon: A naturally occurring substance that interferes with the ability of viruses to reproduce. Interferon also boosts the immune system. There are a number of different interferons. They fall into three main…
Interleukin-1

A protein produced by various cells, including macrophages, interleukin-1 raises body temperature, spurs the production of interferon, and stimulates growth of disease-fighting cells, among other functions. Abbreviated…
Interleukin-10

Abbreviated IL-10. An antiinflammatory and immunosuppressive substance produced within the body. IL-10 plays a role in the regulation of immune responses. It is secreted by antigen-presenting cells, promotes the…
Interleukin-2

A type of interleukin, a chemical messenger, a substance that can improve the body's response to disease. It stimulates the growth of certain disease-fighting blood cells in the immune system. Also called IL-2
Interleukin-3

A protein that stimulates the immune system to develop mast cells and bone-marrow cells. Abbreviated IL-3
Interleukin-4

A protein that stimulates the immune system to develop mast cells, resting T-cells, and activated B-cells. Abbreviated IL-4
Interleukins

Substances used in biological therapy. Interleukins stimulate the growth and activities of certain kinds of white blood cells
Intermediate-grade lymphoma

A lymphoma that is more aggressive (grows and spreads faster) than a low-grade lymphoma, but responds better to anticancer drugs. Intermediate-grade lymphomas include diffuse, small, cleaved cell lymphoma and diffuse…
Intermittent claudication

An aching, crampy, tired, and sometimes burning pain in the legs that comes and goes -- it typically occurs with walking and goes away with rest -- due to poor circulation of blood in the arteries of the legs. In very…
Intermittent insomnia

See Insomnia, intermittent
Intern

In medicine, a doctor who has completed medical school and is engaged in a year of additional training at a hospital before residency. An intern may, for example, be in pediatrics or medicine (internal medicine). The…
Internal cardiac defibrillator

A device put within the body that is designed to recognize certain types of abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) and correct them. Defibrillators continuously monitor the heart rhythm in order to detect overly rapid…
Internal carrier

In the drug trade, an individual used to transport internally concealed illicit drugs. Also called a body packer. See: Body packer
Internal ear

There are three sections of the ear. They are the external ear, the middle ear, and the internal ear. The internal ear is far and away the most highly complex. The essential component of the inner ear for hearing is the…
Internal fixation

A surgical procedure that stabilizes and joins the ends of fractured (broken) bones by mechanical devices such as metal plates, pins, rods, wires or screws. Internal fixation is as opposed to external fixation of a…
Internal genitalia, female

See: Female internal genitalia
Internal genitalia, male

See: Male internal genitalia
Internal jugular vein

The deeper of the two jugular veins in the neck that drain blood from the head, brain, face and neck and convey it toward the heart. The internal jugular vein collects blood from the brain, the outside of the face and…
Internal medicine

A medical specialty dedicated to the diagnosis and medical treatment of adults. A physician who specializes in internal medicine is referred to as an internist. A minimum of seven years of medical school and…
Internal pacemaker

Pacemaker: A device that uses electrical impulses to regulate the heart rhythm or to reproduce that rhythm. An internal pacemaker is one in which the electrodes into the heart, the electronic circuitry and the power…
Internal radiation therapy

Radiation therapy in which radioactive material is placed in or near a tumor