Medical terms - Letter N
538 terms start with the letter N.
-
Nucleocaspid
The genome plus the protein coat of a viral. The genome is nucleic acid. The protein coat is the capsid. The term nucleocaspid was coined in 1963
-
Nucleosome
Structure responsible in part for the compactness of a chromosome. Each nucleosome consists of a sequence of DNA wrapped around a core of histone (a type of protein).
-
Nucleotide
>A nitrogenous base (A, G, T, or C in DNA; A, G, U, or C in RNA), >A phosphate molecule, and >A sugar molecule (deoxyribose in DNA and ribose in RNA). A DNA oligonucleotide is a short piece of DNA composed of relatively…
-
Nucleus
1) In cell biology, the structure that houses the chromosomes. 2) In neuroanatomy, a group of nerve cells
-
Nucleus amygdalae
See: Amygdaloid nucleus
-
Nucleus, arcuate
See: Arcuate nucleus
-
Nucleus, caudate
See: Caudate nucleus
-
Nude mice
See: Nude mouse
-
Nude mouse
A mutant mouse said to be nude because it is hairless due to the presence two copies of the gene 'nu' (for nude). Nude mice have no thymus and therefore no T cells, a class of lymphocytes that depend on the thymus to…
-
Null mutation
A mutation (a change) in a gene that leads to its not being transcribed into RNA and/or translated into a functional protein product. For example, a null mutation in a gene that usually encodes a specific enzyme leads…
-
Nullipara
A woman who has never given birth to a child.
-
Nulliparous
Never having given birth to a child.
-
Numb
Numb, or numbness is a loss of the sensation of feeling in an area of the body. Numbness results from damage to, or impaired function of, the nerves that supply the affected area. The function of the nerves may be…
-
Numbness (Numb)
Coin-shaped patches of irritated skin-most common on the arms, back, buttocks, and lower legs that may be crusted, scaling, and extremely itchy. The word "nummular" is taken from the Latin "nummus," a small coin.
-
Nummular eczema
Coin-shaped patches of irritated skin-most common on the arms, back, buttocks, and lower legs that may be crusted, scaling, and extremely itchy. The word 'nummular' is taken from the Latin 'nummus,' a small coin.
-
Nurse
1) A person trained, licensed, or skilled in nursing. 2) To feed an infant at the breast
-
Nurse assistant
A person who has completed a brief health-care training program, and who provides support services for RNs and LPNs. Also known as an orderly or, when certified by a state agency, a certified nurse aide (CNA)
-
Nurse practitioner
A registered nurse (RN) who has completed an advanced training program in a medical specialty such as pediatrics or internal medicine. Abbreviated NP. An NP may function as a primary direct provider of health care and…
-
Nurse, licensed practical
A nurse who has completed a one- or two-year training program in health care and earned a state license. LPNs provide direct patient care for people with chronic illness, in nursing homes, hospitals, and home settings…
-
Nurse, licensed vocational
A nurse who has completed a one- or two-year training program in health care and earned a state license. LVNs provide direct patient care for people with chronic illness, in nursing homes, hospitals, and home settings…
-
Nurse, registered
A nurse who has completed a two- to four-year degree program in nursing, and provides direct patient care for acutely or chronically ill patients. RNs may further specialize in a particular area. For example…
-
Nurse-midwife
A person who is trained in both nursing and midwifery and, in the US, is certified by the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM). In order to practice, a nurse-midwife must pass an examination for certification by a…
-
Nurse-midwifery
The practice engaged in by a nurse-midwife
-
Nursemaid's elbow
Partial dislocation of the elbow. The radius (a bone in the forearm) slips out of the ligament that holds it in place at the elbow. This is common in children under 4 years of age. It may be due to an adult lifting or…
-
Nurses Health Study
A very large and important prospective investigation into the risk factors for major chronic diseases in women. (In a prospective study the participants are identified and then followed forward in time.) The…
-
Nursing
1) Profession concerned with the provision of services essential to the maintenance and restoration of health by attending the needs of sick persons. 2) Feeding a infant at the breast
-
Nursing home
A residential facility for persons with chronic illness or disability, particularly older people who have mobility and eating problems. Also called a convalescent home, long-term care facility
-
Nutraceutical
A food or part of a food that allegedly provides medicinal or health benefits, including the prevention and treatment of disease. A nutraceutical may be a naturally nutrient-rich or medicinally active food, such as…
-
Nutrigenomics
The study of how different foods may interact with specific genes to increase the risk of common chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease, stroke and certain cancers. Nutrigenomics also seeks to…
-
Nutrition
Nutrition: 1) The science or practice of taking in and utilizing foods. 2) A nourishing substance, such as nutritional solutions delivered to hospitalized patients via an IV or IG tube.
-
Nutritional neuroscience
The field of nutrition that relates to the central and peripheral nervous system. Nutritional neuroscience includes the role of different components of the normal diet (protein, carbohydrate, fat), dietary supplements…
-
Nutritionist
1) In a hospital or nursing home, a person who plans and/or formulates special meals for patients. It can also simply be a euphemism for a cook who works in a medical facility but who does not have extensive training in…
-
NvCJD
New variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a human disease thought due to the same infectious agent as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease. Both the human and bovine disorders are invariably fatal…
-
Nyctalopia
Night blindness, impaired vision in dim light and in the dark, due to impaired function of certain specialized vision cells (the rods) in the retina. The ability of our eyes to quickly view objects as they shift from…
-
Nyctanopia
Impaired vision in dim light and in the dark, due to impaired function of the rods in the retina. Night blindness is a classic finding from deficiency of vitamin A. Nyctanopia is also known as day sight, nocturnal…
-
Nyctophobia
Pathological fear of the dark, an abnormal and persistent dread of the dark. Sufferers experience anxiety even though they may rationally realize that the dark does not pose a threat commensurate with their fear. Formed…
-
Nymph
A nymph is a stage in the life cycle of certain arthropods, as ticks and lice. (Not all nymphs are in Greek mythology.) There are three stages in the life cycle of lice: the nit, the nymph, and the adult. The nymph…
-
Nystagmus
Rapid rhythmic repetitious involuntary (unwilled) eye movements. Nystagmus can be horizontal, vertical or rotary