patho glossary Flashcards
abscess
a localized collection of pus in a cavity formed by disintegration of tissues.
acinus (acini = pl.)
a small sac-like dilatation, e.g. in the lung the basic unit of gas exchange, each acinus is supplied by a single terminal bronchiole; in the liver, the smallest functional unit.
acute
a disease with sudden onset of signs and a short course.
adenocarcinoma
a malignant tumour originating in glandular tissue.
adenoma
a benign tumor made up of glandular elements.
adenosis
a disease of a gland, often marked by the abnormal formation or enlargement of glandular tissue.
adhesion
in close proximity; joining of parts to one another which may occur abnormally as in a fibrous band of scar tissue that binds together normally separate anatomical structures.
afferent
toward the centre, e.g. afferent nerves carry impulses toward the central nervous system.
agenesis
absence or failure of formation of any part or organ.
amino acid(s)
the basic building block of protein; there are 20 common amino acid types and their sequence will determine the properties and function of each protein.
amyloid
the extracellular protein substance deposited in amyloidosis.
There are several precursor proteins which are then deposited in the tissue as amyloid; e.g.amyloid light chain (AL) - a component of immunoglobulin, occurs in mulitple myeloma;amyloid associated protein (AA) - derived from liver protein, occurs in reactive systemic amyloidosis; amyloid familial (AF) - abnormal transthyretin.
amyloidosis
a group of conditions of diverse etiologies characterized by the accumulation of insoluble fibrillar proteins (amyloid) in various organs and tissues of the body - eventually organ function is compromised. The associated disease states may be inflammatory, hereditary or neoplastic and the deposition may be local or generalized or systemic.
analgesia (analgesic)
the absence of pain; removing pain.
anaphylaxis
the immediate immunologic (allergic) reaction initiated by the combination ofantigen (allergen) with mast cell cytophilic antobody (chiefly IgE). anaphylactic (adj) - as in anaphylactic shock - life threatening respiratory distress, vascular collapse and shock; manifesting extremely great sensitivity to foreign protein or other material.
anaplasia
loss of differentiation of cells and of their orientation to one another and to their framework and blood vessels.
anastomosis
a connection between two blood vessels or tubes.
aneurysm
a ballooning out of the wall of a blood vessel or a heart chamber due to a weakening of the wall by disease or injury.
angina
spasmodic, choking or suffocating pain. a. pectoris, paroxysmal pain in the chest often radiating to the arms; usually due to interference with the supply of oxygen to the heart muscle; often precipitated by excitement or effort.
antibody
an immunoglobulin molecule that reacts with a specific antigen that induced its synthesis. Synthesized by B lymphocytes that have been activated by the binding of a antigen to a cell surface receptor.
antigen
any substance, almost always a protein, not normally present in the body which when introduced to the body stimulates a specific immune response and the production of antibodies
aphasia
partial or complete loss of the ability to speak, write or understand spoken or written language, resulting from damage to the brain by injury or disease.
apnea
lack of breathing.
apocrine
a form of secretion in which a portion of the cytoplasm leaves the cell together with the product of secretion.
apoptosis
programmed cell death (carefully orchestrated by genes and gene products that turn the pathway to cell death on or off); fragmentation of the cell into membrane-bound particles that are eliminated by phagocytosis; from the Greek for “falling off”.
arrhythmia(s)
irregular heart beat.
ascites
accumulation of serous fluid in the abdominal cavity.
ataxia
failure of muscle coordination; unable to coordinate muscle movement resulting in jerkiness and incoordination.
ATP
adenosine triphosphate. A chemical very important in energy metabolism in the cell.
atrophy
a wasting away; a decrease in the size and function of a cell, tissue, organ or part.
auscultation
listening for sounds within the body; it may be performed with the unaided ear or with a stethoscope.
bacteremia
the presence of bacteria in the blood.
bifurcation
the split of a tube or vessel into two branches or channels.
benign
not malignant; not recurrent; favourable for recovery.
biopsy
removal and examination, usually microscopic, of tissue from the living body, performed to establish a precise diagnosis
bradycardia
abnormally slow heart action.
bronchiectasis
chronic dilatation of the bronchi. It may affect the tube uniformly or occur in irregular pockets.
bronchus
one of the large passages conveying air to and within the lungs.
BUN - blood urea nitrogen
the urea concentration of serum or plasma, specified in terms of nitrogen content; an important indicator of renal function. (urea is the chief nitrogenous end-product of protein metabolism, formed in the liver from amino acids and from ammonia compounds).
cachexia
extreme loss of weight and body wasting associated with serious illness.
calculus
a stone developing in the body, e.g. kidney or bile (not the branch of mathematics!)
carbuncle
deep-seated pus-producing infection of the skin and subcutaneous tissues
cardiomegaly
hypertrophy (enlargement) of the heart.
caries
destruction of bone or teeth.
caseous - “cheesy” or “cheese-like”. As in caseous necrosis
cell death characteristic of certain inflammations (e.g. tuberculosis) where the affected tissue shows the crumbly consistency and dull, opaque quality of cheese. Based on casein - the principal protein of milk, the basis of curds and cheese
catarrh
inflammation of a mucuos membrane with increased flow of mucous. catarrhal (adj.)
cellulitis
inflammation of the soft or connective tissue in which a thin, watery exudate spreads through the tissue spaces.
chemotaxis
movement of cells or organisms in response to chemical stimulation.chemotactic (adj.).
cholangitis
inflammation of a bile duct or the entire biliary tree
cholecyst
the gallbladder
cholelithiasis
presence of concretions (“gall stones”) in the gallbladder or bile ducts.
chronic
a condition with slow onset, mild but continuous manifestations and long-lasting, often progressive effects.
ciliated
cilia are small hair-like structures which help to transport secretions along the surface of a cell.
CIN
cervical intraepithelial neoplasia; one of the terminologies in use to describe precancerous or dysplastic changes in the cervical epithelial cells..
clubbing
proliferation of soft tissue about the ends (terminal phalanges) of fingers and toes.
CMV
cytomegalovirus
coagulate
to cause to clot or become clotted; to convert a fluid or substance in solution into a solid or a gel. coagulative (adj.) as in coagulative necrosis - a type of necrosis in which affected cells or tissue are converted into a dry, dull, homogeneous eosinophilic mass without nuclei as a result of the coagulation of protein.
collateral (blood supply)
new vessels which develop following chronic interruption of blood supply.
congestion
abnormal accumulation of blood or fluid in a part (e.g. of blood - passive congestion - obstruction of the escape of blood from a part (as in liver); pulmonary congestion - engorgement of pulmonary vessels, with transudation of fluid into alveolar and interstitial spaces).
columnar (cells) - refers to a shape of cells which often line ducts or glands within the body.
congenital
present at birth; cause may be genetic or non-genetic (infectious, chemical, physical).