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

Pharmacology

The study of drugs, their sources, their nature, and their properties. Pharmacology is the study of the body's reaction to drugs. It emerged as a major area in American medicine largely due to the efforts of John Jacob…
Pharmacopeia

Also spelled pharmacopoeia, an official authoritative listing of drugs. Aspirin has, for example, long been in the pharmacopeia. By extension, a pharmacopeia is a collection or stock of drugs.
Pharmacopoeia

An official authoritative listing of drugs. Aspirin has, for example, long been in the pharmacopoeia. By extension, a pharmacopoeia is a collection or stock of drugs.
Pharmacy

A location where prescription drugs are sold. A pharmacy is, by law, constantly supervised by a licensed pharmacist
Pharmacy benefit manager

A company under contract with managed care organizations, self-insured companies, and government programs to manage pharmacy network management, drug utilization review, outcomes management, and disease management. The…
Pharmacy, compounding

A facility that both makes and sells prescription drugs. A compounding pharmacy can often concoct drug formulas that are specially tailored to patients: for example, liquid versions of medications normally available…
Pharyngeal

Having to do with the throat (pharynx)
Pharyngitis

Inflammation of the pharynx (the hollow tube in the back of the throat about 5 inches long that starts behind the nose and ends at the top of the trachea). Pharyngitis is popularly known as a sore throat. Most sore…
Pharyngoesophageal diverticulum

See: Zenker diverticulum
Pharynx

The hollow tube about 5 inches long that starts behind the nose and ends at the top of the trachea (windpipe) and esophagus (the tube that goes to the stomach)
Phase, resting

More appropriately called interphase. The interval in the cell cycle between two cell divisions when the individual chromosomes cannot be distinguished, interphase was once thought to be the resting phase but it is far…
Phe

Phenylalanine. See also: Amino acid symbols
Phen-Fen

The once-popular diet-drug combination of fenfluramine and phentermine that, amidst much media attention, was taken off the market because of concern for heart valve damage. See: Fenfluramine
Phenocopy

1. An environmental condition that imitates (copies) one produced by a gene. 2.The person who has an environmentally-produced condition that mimics one produced by a gene
Phenol

1. A poisonous corrosive compound obtained by the distillation of coal tar that, in dilute solution, is an antimicrobial agent. Also called carbolic acid. 2. A generic term for any compound similar in structure to…
Phenolphthalein

A compound used as a laboratory reagent and acid-base indicator and also used in over-the-counter (OTC) laxative preparations. Phenolphthalein may be a carcinogen (cancer-causing agent). Feeding of phenolphthalein…
Phenomenon, Babinski

A neurologic reflex that constitutes an important medical examination based upon what the big toe does when the sole of the foot is stroked. If the big toe goes up, that may mean trouble. The Babinski reflex is obtained…
Phenomenon, knee

See: Knee jerk
Phenomenon, phantom limb

See Phantom limb syndrome
Phenomenon, Raynaud's

A condition resulting in discoloration of fingers and/or toes when a person is exposed to changes in temperature (cold or hot) or emotional events. The skin discoloration occurs because an abnormal spasm of the blood…
Phenothiazine

One of a group of tranquilizing drugs with antipsychotic actions thought to act by blocking dopaminergic transmission (messages sent using the substance dopamine) within the brain. Examples of phenothiazines include…
Phenotype

The appearance of an individual, which results from the interaction of the person's genetic makeup and his or her environment. By contrast, the genotype is merely the genetic constitution (genome) of an individual. For…
Phenotype, Klippel-Feil

See: Klippel-Feil sequence
Phenylalanine

An essential amino acid. (The human body cannot make it so it is essential to the diet.) Phenylalanine that is ingested is largely transformed (hydroxylated) to form the amino acid tyrosine, which is used in protein…
Phenylalanine hydroxylase deficiency

The inherited inability to process the amino acid phenylalanine normally, due to deficiency of the enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase. This deficiency is caused by mutation in the PAH gene (on chromosome 12 in band…
Phenylketonuria

Phenylketonuria: The inherited inability to metabolize (process) the essential amino acid phenylalanine due to complete or near-complete deficiency of the enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase. Newborns are screened for…
Phenylketonuria, maternal

See Maternal phenylketonuria
Pheresis

Procedure in which the blood is filtered, separated, and a portion retained, with the remainder being returned to the individual. There are various types of pheresis. In leukapheresis, the leukocytes (white blood cells)…
Pheromone

An agent secreted by an individual that produces a change in the sexual or social behavior of another individual of the same species; a volatile hormone that acts as a behavior-altering agent. The term 'pheromone' is…
Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)

The chromosome abnormality that causes chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Abbreviated as the Ph chromosome. The Ph chromosome is an abnormally short chromosome 22 that is one of the two chromosomes involved in a…
Philippine hemorrhagic fever

A syndrome due to the dengue virus that tends to affect children under 10, causing abdominal pain, hemorrhage (bleeding) and circulatory collapse (shock). Known also as dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), it starts abruptly…
Philtrum

The area from below the nose to the upper lip. Normally the philtrum is grooved. In fetal alcohol syndrome, the philtrum is flat.
Phimosis

A condition whereby the foreskin of the penis is too tight. The penis itself consists of a cylindrical shaft with a rounded tip which is called the glans. The foreskin, or prepuce, is the fold of skin that covers the…
Phlebitis

Inflammation of a vein. With phlebitis, there is infiltration of the walls of the vein and, usually, the formation of a clot (thrombus) in the vein (thrombophlebitis). Phlebitis in a leg, for example, will cause the leg…
Phlebo- (prefix)

Means vein. From the Greek 'phleps', vein, which came from the root 'phlein', to gush or overflow. Appears in phlebitis (inflammation of the veins), phlebotomist (a person who draws blood from veins), and phlebotomy (a…
Phlebotomist

A person who draws blood.
Phlebotomus fever

See: Sandfly fever
Phlebotomy

Obtaining blood from a vein. In the old days, this was done by incising (cutting) a vein and just letting the blood flow into a container. Today phlebotomy is done more neatly by puncturing a vein with a needle…
Phobia

An unreasonable sort of fear that can cause avoidance and panic. Phobias are a relatively common type of anxiety disorder. For example, extreme fear of spiders is called arachnophobia, and fear of being outside is known…
Phobia, social

Excessive fear of embarrassment in social situations that is extremely intrusive and can have debilitating effects on personal and professional relationships. Phobias are persistent, irrational fears of certain objects…
Phocomelia

A congenital malformation (birth defect) in which the hands and feet are attached to abbreviated arms and legs. The word phocomelia combines phoco- (seal) and melia (limb) to designate a limb like a seal's flipper, one…
Phonosurgery

Surgical procedures that maintain, restore, or enhance the human voice. Phonosurgery includes phonomicrosurgery (microsurgery of the vocal folds done through an endoscope), laryngoplastic phonosurgery (open-neck surgery…
Phosphatase, acid

Acid phosphatase is an enzyme that works under acid conditions and is made in the liver, spleen, bone marrow and the prostate gland. Abnormally high serum levels of the enzyme may, for example, indicate prostate disease…
Phosphatase, alkaline

An enzyme made in the liver, bone, and the placenta and normally present in high concentrations in growing bone and in bile. Alkaline phosphatase is released into the blood during injury and during such normal…
Phosphate

A form of phosphoric acid. Calcium phosphate makes bones and teeth hard.
Phospholipase

An enzyme that catalyzes the splitting of a phospholipid molecule by the addition of water. Also called a lecithinase. There are a number of phospholipases. They are grouped on the basis of the specific chemical bond…
Phosphorus

An essential element in the diet and a major component of bone. Phosphorus is also found in the blood, muscles, nerves, and teeth. It is a component of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the primary energy source in the body
Phosphorylation

Phosphorylation is a biochemical process that involves the addition of phosphate to an organic compound. Phosphorylation may, for instance, involve the addition of phosphate to glucose to produce glucose monophosphate…
Photic sneeze reflex

A disorder, also known as the achoo syndrome, characterized by nearly uncontrollable paroxysms of sneezing provoked in a reflex fashion by the sudden exposure of a dark-adapted subject to intensely bright light, usually…
Photochemotherapy, psoralen

See: PUVA