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 |
|---|---|
| Peritoneum | Membranes that cover the abdominal cavity and the outside of abdominal organs |
| pH | Measurement of the acidity or alkalinity of a substance. A pH of 7.0 is neutral. A substance with a pH less than 7.0 is an acid, with increasing acidity as the pH decreases toward zero. Likewise, a substance with a pH greater than 7.0 is a base (alkali), with increasing alkalinity as the pH moves toward 14.0. |
| Phenotype | The observable physical or biochemical characteristics of a person, as determined by both their genetic makeup and environmental influences |
| Pheochromocytoma | tumor located in one or both of the adrenal glands that releases excess hormones called catecholamines (e.g., dopamine, epinephrine (adrenaline), norepinephrine and their metabolites, such as metanephrines) |
| Phospholipid | A substance in the body that contains both lipid (fat) and phosphorous; phospholipids are found in all cells throughout the body because they are a major component of the cell membrane, the outermost layer of a cell. |
| Pituitary gland | Pea-sized gland located in the center of the head behind the sinus cavity at the base of the brain; the pituitary consists of two parts that produce different hormones: 1) in the anterior portion, growth hormone (GH), adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), lutenizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and prolactin (PRL) are produced; 2) in the posterior portion, oxytocin and antidiuretic hormone (ADH) (produced in the hypothalamus) are stored for release. |
| Placenta | |
| Plaque | 1. Deposit on the inner arterial walls in atherosclerosis |
| Plasma | Straw-colored, fluid part of blood and lymph |
| Plasma cell | Mature lymphocyte (B cell) that produces and secretes antibodies |
| Pleura | Also known as: Pleurae (plural)
|
| Pleurae | Also known as: Pleura
|
| Pneumonitis | An inflammation of the lungs; usually caused by a hypersensitive allergic reaction to repeated exposure to organic particles such as molds, grain dust, and chemicals |
| Polyclonal antibody | |
| Polycythemia | Increase in the number of erythrocytes (red cells, RBCs) in the blood |
