Glossary
BioScience.com.pk try the best to avoid the use of medical terms that could make it more difficult to understand the information on this website. Still, there are a number of terms that can’t be avoided and that are useful to know because they are so often used by the doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals with whom you might speak. The list below includes the terms used on BioScience.com.pk for which we have provided definitions.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Myelin sheath | Also known as: Myelin The fatty covering that insulates nerve fibers |
| Myelin | Also known as: Myelin sheath The fatty covering that insulates nerve fibers |
| Mycobacteria | A diverse group of rod-shaped bacteria that include Mycobacterium tuberculosis (which causes tuberculosis) and Mycobacterium leprae (which causes leprosy) and more than 100 different species found in the environment; the environmental mycobacteria may be referred to as nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), mycobacteria other than tuberculosis (MOTT), and/or atypical mycobacteria. |
| Mutation | Change in the genetic structure (DNA); it may occur spontaneously or be induced (e.g., by radiation, drugs, or certain mutagenic chemicals). |
| Musculoskeletal | |
| Monocyte | Leukocyte (white blood cell) that functions in the ingestion of bacteria and other foreign particles. Monocytes make up 5-10% of the total white blood cell count. |
| Monoclonal gammopathy | Abnormal condition in which clones of a single plasma cell or B lymphocyte produce greatly increased amounts of an immunoglobulin molecule; analysis of serum or urine will show a distinct 'monoclonal' band, typically in the 'gamma' or beta region. |
| Monoclonal cells | Group of cells derived from a single type (clone) of cell; the cells formed are identical. |
| Monoclonal antibody | Antibody produced by or derived from a single type (clone) of plasma cell |
| Mole | a growth on the skin comprised of a cluster of skin cells that produce the skin pigment melanin (melanocytes); a mole is often raised and dark in color. |
| Microorganism | |
| Microcytic | Smaller than normal red blood cells |
| Microcephaly | a birth defect in which a baby’s head is much smaller than expected and the brain is underdeveloped; this condition can occur because a baby's brain stops developing during pregnancy or stops growing after birth. A more serious, extreme form called severe microcephaly can occur during pregnancy when a baby's brain does not develop properly or begins to develop but then stops. Babies born with microcephaly can have several other issues, such as developmental delays, intellectual disabilities, hearing loss, problems with vision, and seizures. |
| Microaerophilic | Living or occurring in a reduced-oxygen environment |
| Metastasis | Spread of cancer from its site of origin to distant sites |