Medical Vocabulary #12

The process by which bacteria destroy tooth enamel.

Any chemical that causes the airway to swell when an allergic reaction occurs or in diseases like asthma.

A wall or other structure that divides one cavity from another. For example, in the heart, such a wall separates the right side of the heart from the left side.

In place.

A ranking of foods according to how quickly and how much they raise blood sugar.

The process by which a normal cell becomes cancerous.

A condition in which the blood vessels in the fingers and other extremities narrow in response to cold or stress, causing them to turn white or blue.

One of the cylindrical bones that form the spine.

Pertaining to something that is poisonous.

The region in the back of the brain responsible for visual processing.

A specialist who deals with the urinary tract and male reproductive system.

A thick, yellow-green fluid produced by the liver that aids in digestion.

A health professional who assesses hearing and fits hearing aids.

A device to assess lung function, often used to diagnose and monitor asthma.

A cosmetic procedure in which tiny crystals under high pressure are sprayed on the face. This buffs away the outer layer of skin, eliminates fine lines, and improves the look of the skin.

An unusual sound, heard through a stethoscope, that blood makes when it rushes past an obstruction, like a blockage in an artery.

Continually present among people in a geographic region.

A response to danger or stress characterized by apathy, lethargy, and depression; or the physical or psychological response to a sudden lack of an addictive substance such as alcohol or nicotine.

Pain or discomfort in the upper abdomen; upset stomach or indigestion.

The process where a liquid, such as blood, comes together to form a soft, semi-solid mass, like a clot.

Tiny air sacs in the lung, where oxygen enters and carbon dioxide leaves the bloodstream.

Part of the brain that plays a role in determining consequences and choosing behaviors.

A chemical messenger released by nerve cells that sends messages to nearby other nerve cells.

Scaly pink or red-brown raised spots or patches on the skin caused by overexposure to the sun, and a possible precursor to skin cancer.