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 |
|---|---|
| Macrophage | A large white blood cell (WBC) found in connective tissue, lymph nodes, spleen, bone marrow and other tissues; it is an important part of the body's immune system and helps fight infections by surrounding and ingesting disease-causing microorganisms. |
| Malignant | Harmful and potentially fatal |
| Mammogram | Examination of the breast by X-ray |
| Mast cell | A type of tissue cell found throughout the body but especially in connective tissue such as the skin, lining of the intestine and air passages as well as in the bone marrow. Mast cells contain granules that store chemicals. These chemicals are released as part of the body's normal response to injury but also may be released as part of an allergic response to exposure to an allergen. The chemicals that are released can cause the allergic signs and symptoms. |
| Mastocytosis | Abnormal accumulation of mast cells within one or more organs. Mast cells are a type of tissue cell found throughout the body that release chemicals as part of the body's normal response to injury but sometimes as part of an allergic response. Cutaneous mastocytosis is a benign disease of the skin, usually affecting children. Systemic mastocytosis affects mostly adults, who may experience signs and symptoms related to the organs affected such as skin rashes or characteristic red, blistering lesions, peptic ulcers, chronic diarrhea, joint pain or enlargement of the liver, spleen, or lymph nodes. Systemic mastocytosis may progress slowly or may be aggressive, causing organ dysfunction and, in rare cases, causing a form of leukemia. |
| Meconium ileus | A condition in newborn infants characterized by no stools in the first 24 to 48 hours of life |
| Megakaryocytes | Large cells in the bone marrow that produce blood platelets |
| Meninges | Layers of tissue that surround the brain and spinal cord |
| Mesothelioma | Rare cancer of the membranes that cover the outside of internal organs and line body cavities, including the chest (pleural mesothelioma), abdominal cavity (peritoneal mesothelioma), and the heart (pericardial mesothelioma) |
| Metabolism | Chemical reactions that occur in living organisms to convert one substance into another or produce energy |
| Metabolite | Product of chemical or biological processes in the body |
| Metastasis | Spread of cancer from its site of origin to distant sites |
| Microaerophilic | Living or occurring in a reduced-oxygen environment |
| 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. |
| Microcytic | Smaller than normal red blood cells |
