BIOSCIENCE.

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
Immunity

1) Resistance to infection because of previous exposure to an infectious agent, naturally or by vaccination
2) State of activation of the immune system to recognize a foreign substance
immune-suppressed

Also known as: Immune-compromised; immunosuppressed; immune-suppressed

Reduced ability of one's immune system to mount a normal response to infection
Immune System

The body's means of protection against microorganisms and other foreign substances; it is composed of two major parts: the humoral response (B lymphocytes and production of antibodies) and the cell-mediated response (T lymphocytes that attack foreign substances directly).
Immune serum globulin

Also known as: Ig; Antibody; Immune serum globulin; Immune globulin; Gamma globulin

1) Special proteins produced by the body in response to foreign substances including bacteria and viruses; there are five structurally distinct classes of immunoglobulins produced by plasma cells in the bone marrow and other lymphoid tissue that bind to and neutralize foreign substances (antigens). The five major kinds of immunoglobulins are A, D, E, G and M.

2) A solution made from human blood plasma that contains concentrated antibodies that protect against specific diseases, such as short-term protection against certain infections and Rh sensitization during pregnancy; it is made from human blood plasma that has been pooled, processed from donated blood, and purified.
Ig

Also known as: Ig; Antibody; Immune serum globulin; Immune globulin; Gamma globulin

1) Special proteins produced by the body in response to foreign substances including bacteria and viruses; there are five structurally distinct classes of immunoglobulins produced by plasma cells in the bone marrow and other lymphoid tissue that bind to and neutralize foreign substances (antigens). The five major kinds of immunoglobulins are A, D, E, G and M.

2) A solution made from human blood plasma that contains concentrated antibodies that protect against specific diseases, such as short-term protection against certain infections and Rh sensitization during pregnancy; it is made from human blood plasma that has been pooled, processed from donated blood, and purified.
Idiopathic

 A disease or condition that does not have an identifiable cause
Hypoxia

Lack of oxygen
Hypothalamus

Area of the brain located just above the brainstem that controls the pituitary gland and regulates many bodily functions, such as body temperature, hunger, thirst, sleep, and mood through the release of hormones
Hypopituitarism

Condition caused by a decrease in or loss of production of pituitary hormones
Hypopituitarism

Condition caused by a decrease in or loss of production of pituitary hormones
Hypoparathyroidism

A condition characterized by underactivity of the parathyroid glands and reduced production of parathyroid hormone (PTH), a hormone that controls calcium and phosphate levels in blood and calcium in bone. Symptoms may include tingling in the fingers and toes, muscle aches and spasms, fatigue, dry skin and brittle nails, headaches, anxiety, and depression.
Hyponatremia

Lower than normal potassium levels in the blood
Hypokalemia

Lower than normal potassium levels in the blood
Hypogonadism

A condition associated with defective function of the gonads (ovaries in females, testes in males) resulting in little or no production of hormones
Hypoglycemia

Lower than normal glucose levels in the blood