Medications

Anti CCP: See: Citrulline antibody. Last Editorial Review: 10/13/2003 Citrulline antibody: An antibody (an immune protein) directed against a circular peptide (a ring of amino acids) containing an unusual ("non-standard") amino acid called citrulli...

Anthropology, forensic - Medical

Anthropology, forensic: See: Forensic anthropology.Last Editorial Review: 5/9/2003 Forensic: Dealing with the application of scientific knowledge to legal problems and legal proceedings as, for example, in forensic anthropology, forensic dentistry, ...

Anthrax toxin - Medical

Anthrax toxin: The toxic substance secreted by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of the disease anthrax. Anthrax toxin is made up of three proteins. One is protective antigen and two are enzymes that are called edema factor...

Anthrax immunization - Medical

Anthrax immunization: A series of six shots over six months and booster shots annually, the anthrax vaccine now in use in the USA was first developed in the 1950s and approved by the Food and Drug Administration for general use in 1970. It is prod...

Anthrax - Medical

Anthrax: A serious bacterial infection caused by Bacillus anthracis that occurs primarily in animals. Cattle, sheep, horses, mules, and some wild animals are highly susceptible. Humans and swine are generally quite resistant to anthrax. Humans becom...

Anthracycline - Medical

Anthracycline: A member of a family of chemotherapy drugs that are also antibiotics. The anthracyclines act to prevent cell division by disrupting the structure of the DNA and terminate its function. They do so in two ways: (1) they intercalate into...

Anthophobia - Medical

Anthophobia: An abnormal and persistent fear of flowers. Sufferers experience anxiety even though they realize they face no threat from flowers. Any genus or species of flowers can instill fear, as can any flower part, such as a petal or stem. "Ant...

Anteroposterior (AP) - Medical

Anteroposterior (AP): In anatomy, AP stands for anteroposterior: from front-to-back. For example, an AP X-ray of the chest is taken from front-to-back. AP in this respect is the opposite of PA, which stands for posteroanterior: from back-to-front. ...

Anteroposterior - Medical

Anteroposterior: From front to back. When a chest x-ray is taken with the back against the film plate and the x-ray machine in front of the patient it is called an anteroposterior (AP) view. As opposed to from back to front (which is called posteroan...

Anterograde memory - Medical

Anterograde memory: Loss of short-term memory with retention of memories from the distant past ( long-term memory).Last Editorial Review: 6/5/2004 Short-term memory: A system for temporarily storing and managing information required to carry out ...

Anterograde amnesia - Medical

Anterograde amnesia: See: Antegrade amnesia.Last Editorial Review: 6/5/2004 Antegrade amnesia: Amnesia in which the loss of memory relates to events that occur after a traumatic event. There is inability to recall new information. Old information ca...

Anterograde - Medical

Anterograde: Moving forward or extending forward. Anterograde memory is memory for what occurs after an event such as an accident. Also called antegrade. From the Latin antero- + gredior (to step or go). Last Editorial Review: 6/5/2004 Memory: 1....

Antero- - Medical

Antero-: Prefix signifying before, earlier, front. From the Latin anterior meaning before.Last Editorial Review: 6/5/2004...

Anterior tongue - Medical

Anterior tongue: The front two-thirds of the tongue. In contrast to the base of the tongue, which is the back third. The distinction between the anterior and base of the tongue reflects the fact that they are of different embryological origin. The di...

Anterior pituitary - Medical

Anterior pituitary: The front portion of the pituitary, a small gland in the head called the master gland. Hormones secreted by the anterior pituitary influence growth, sexual development, skin pigmentation, thyroid function, and adrenocortical fun...

Anterior chamber - Medical

Anterior chamber: The space in the eye that is behind the cornea and in front of the iris. The cornea is the outer, transparent, dome-like structure that covers the iris, pupil, and the anterior chamber. The iris is the colored ring of tissu...

Anterior - Medical

Anterior: The front, as opposed to the posterior. The anterior surface of the heart is toward the breast bone (the sternum). For a more complete listing of terms used in medicine for spatial orientation, please see the entry to "Anatomic Orientati...

Antenatal surgery - Medical

Antenatal surgery: The surgical treatment of the fetus before birth. Also called prenatal surgery or, most often, fetal surgery. Fetal surgery is done when the fetus is not expected to live long enough to make it through to delivery or to live lon...

Antegrade amnesia - Medical

Antegrade amnesia: Amnesia in which the loss of memory relates to events that occur after a traumatic event. There is inability to recall new information. Old information can be recalled. Antegrade amnesia may follow brain trauma. Also called anterog...

Antegrade - Medical

Antegrade: Forward-moving. As in blood flow. Sometimes synonymous with anterograde. From the Latin ante- + gradior, to step. Last Editorial Review: 6/5/2004 Anterograde: Moving forward or extending forward. Anterograde memory is memory for what oc...

Antean - Medical

Antean: Exceptionally strong or large. A multi-vitamin pill may, for example, be of Antean proportions. After Antaeus, the mythological Greek giant. The son of the earth mother Gaia, Antaeus challenged anyone he encountered to wrestle and always w...

Antagonist - Medical

Antagonist: In biochemistry, an antagonist acts against and blocks an action. For example, insulin lowers the level of glucose (sugar) in the blood, whereas another hormone called glucagon raises it; therefore, insulin and glucagon are antagon...

Ant, fire - Medical

Ant, fire: Also called thief ants, a scourge, these red or yellow ants of small-to-medium size, originally from South America, have a severe sting that burns like fire and can trigger an allergic reaction. Avoidance and prompt treatment are essent...

Anoxic - Medical

Anoxic: Pertaining to anoxia, an absence or near absence of oxygen.Last Editorial Review: 7/8/2004 Anoxia: 1. Strictly speaking, the absence of oxygen. 2. The near absence of oxygen. 3. Sometimes used loosely as a synonym for hypoxia.From an- (...

Anoxia - Medical

Anoxia: 1. Strictly speaking, the absence of oxygen. 2. The near absence of oxygen. 3. Sometimes used loosely as a synonym for hypoxia.From an- (without) + -ox- (oxygen) + -ia == the state of being without oxygen. Last Editorial Review: 4/27/20...

Anovulatory - Medical

Anovulatory: Not accompanied by ovulation, the release of an ovum (egg) from the ovary. For example, anovulatory menstruation. Synonymous with anovular.Last Editorial Review: 11/12/2003...

Anovular menstruation - Medical

Anovular menstruation: Menstruation without ovulation. The egg stays within the ovary and usually disintegrates but sometimes it is fertilized, resulting in a life-threatening pregnancy within the ovary. Last Editorial Review: 11/12/2003 What is...

Anovular - Medical

Anovular: Not accompanied by ovulation, the release of an ovum (egg) from the ovary. Synonymous with anovulatory. Last Editorial Review: 11/12/2003...

Anotia - Medical

Anotia: No ear. The term "anotia" usually refers to congenital (from birth) absence of the external ear, the auricle, the visible part of the ear. Last Editorial Review: 4/27/2011 5:27:15 PM...

Anosmia - Medical

Anosmia: No sense of smell, due to loss of the sense of smell or failure for it to develop. Loss of the sense of smell can be due to a number of things including swelling within the nose that prevents odors from gaining access to the olfactory (smel...