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.

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Term Definition
Hydropic

Retaining excessive amounts of fluids
Hydrocephalus

A condition in which the chambers (ventricles) within the brain become enlarged due to an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid
Human leukocyte antigens

Also known as: HLA


Group of proteins present on the surface of white blood cells (leukocytes) and other nucleated cells (containing a nucleus). These proteins help the body’s immune system to identify its own cells and to distinguish between “self” and “nonself.” Each person has an inherited combination of HLA antigens and, while not as unique as a fingerprint, the presence or absence of each antigen creates a distinctive HLA combination for each person. HLA antigens are divided into types: Class I (A, B, C) and Class II (DR, DP, DQ).
Hirsutism

Abnormal hairiness, especially an adult male pattern of hair distribution in a female
Heterozygous

Having two different copies of a particular gene, one of which may be abnormal
Heterophile Antibody

A human antibody that reacts with proteins from another species; may lead to innaccurate results in immunoassay tests; sometimes used to refer to antibodies associated with infectious mononucleosis
Hereditary

Genetic; passed from parent to offspring
Hepatocellular carcinoma

Also known as: HCC

Cancer that originates in the cells of the liver; this type of cancer may develop in those who have certain forms of cirrhosis or who have had a hepatitis B or hepatitis C infection; may develop years after initial infection.
Hemostasis

The stopping of bleeding or the flow of blood
Hemosiderosis

Abnormal deposition of an iron-containing compound (hemosiderin) in tissues, often associated with diseases in which there is extensive destruction of red blood cells (e.g., thalassemia)
Hemorrhoid

Swelling of vein(s) in the lower part of the rectum or anus
Hemorrhage

1. bleeding; escape of blood, usually from injured blood vessels
2. excessive bleeding over a short period of time, either internally or externally; if uncontrolled, can lead to shock and death.
Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome

Also known as: HUS

A life-threatening condition that may result from the breakdown (hemolysis) of a large number of red blood cells (RBCs) and damage to the kidneys (uremia). Most often it presents as a complication of an infection of the digestive tract caused by certain bacteria that produce a toxin that enters the bloodstream and destroys RBCs. This syndrome is most commonly associated with infections caused by shiga toxin-producing Eschericha coli (STEC), but may also result from infections caused by Salmonella and Shigella, other types of infections, and sometimes from non-infectious causes.
Hemolytic Disease of the Newborn

A condition in which antibodies in a pregnant woman's blood cross the placenta and destroy her baby's red blood cells; develops when the mother and baby have differences in one or more blood group antigens
Hemolysis

Process by which red blood cells disintegrate, releasing their contents