Medical Vocabulary #18

A tiny organism such as a virus, bacterium, or parasite that can invade the body and produce disease.

An abnormal growth of bone or calcium on the heel bone.

Inflammation of the joints that connect the lower spine to the pelvis.

The body's small blood vessels.

An enzyme that breaks down milk sugar (lactose) in the body.

The process by which gases enter the body, including external component (breathing), and an internal component, in which oxygen taken in by the lungs is carried by the blood to tissues and carbon dioxide is removed.

A hormone produced by fat cells that acts on the brain to suppress appetite and burn stored fat.

An organism or microorganism, such as a yeast or a mold, that can live as a parasite on plants and animals.

A protein that captures and stores iron.

An operation in which bone is cut to change its alignment or shorten or lengthen it.

The fluid in which blood cells are suspended.

The internal organs, especially those found in the abdomen.

The ability of the digestive tract to move its contents.

The use of a hollow needle to remove a small sample of tissue for examination.

A mass of hardened feces blocking the rectum or colon.

A penile erection that lasts longer than three hours, requiring emergency medical treatment to prevent permanent damage to the penis.

“Good cholesterol.”

The ability of a pathogen to withstand drugs previously effective against it. Usually the result of genetic mutation.

A metric unit of weight equivalent to one-thousandth of a kilogram.

The process of removing harmful substances from a person’s body.

Cells that can ingest other cells, bacteria, and foreign particles.

An allergic reaction to the proteins found in natural rubber.

Pertaining to or caused by a virus.

The process of removing an organ or other donated body part from one person and implanting it in another.