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
Endogenous

Originating in or produced within an organ, tissue, cell or by the body. The term may be used to distinguish between an internal or external source of a substance, such as insulin or testosterone.
Endocrine

Cells or tissue that produce hormones released into the bloodstream that have an affect on other cells; for example, the thyroid gland produces thyroid hormone that affects metabolism of many cells.
Endocarditis

Inflammation of the membranes lining the interior of the heart and heart valves
Endemic

Commonly occurring in a particular population or geographic region
Encephalopathy

Any disease causing deterioration of the brain
Emphysema

Chronic progressive lung disease in which air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs are damaged, resulting in loss of elasticity and function of the lungs; the condition is characterized by shortness of breath and may be accompanied by a cough.  It may eventually lead to heart damage.
Embolism & Thromboembolism

Embolism— a condition in which material (tissue, fat, air, blood clot, etc.—called an embolus) travels through the bloodstream and then becomes lodged in a vein or artery and blocks the flow of blood through that blood vessel.

Thromboembolism—a blood clot (thrombus) that breaks free in the blood stream and blocks a blood vessel. This can occur in a vein (venous thromboembolism) or in an artery (arterial thromboembolism).
Electrocardiogram

Also known as: ECG, EKG

Graphic recording of the electrical activity of the heart
Effusion

Escape of fluid from blood vessels or lymphatic system into a body cavity or space
Edema

Abnormal collection of fluid in spaces between cells, esp. just under the skin or in a given cavity (e.g., peritoneal cavity) or organ (e.g., the lungs-pulmonary edema)
Eczema

Skin condition characterized by red, itchy, scaly and sometimes blistering patches
Ectopic Pregnancy

Coma and convulsive seizures that occur at or after the 20th week of pregnancy. Associated with pregnancy-induced hypertension, it can be fatal if untreated.Abnormal pregnancy in which the fertilized egg implants outside of the uterus, most often (90%) in the fallopian tube (tubal pregnancy)
Eclampsia

Coma and convulsive seizures that occur at or after the 20th week of pregnancy. Associated with pregnancy-induced hypertension, it can be fatal if untreated.
Echocardiography

Diagnostic procedure using ultrasound waves to study the heart, its structure and motions; images from this procedure are called echocardiograms.
E. coli

A species of bacteria that normally resides in the gastrointestinal tract as harmless normal flora; these rod-shaped bacteria commonly cause urinary tract infections, and some strains produce toxins that cause diarrheal disease.