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 |
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Assay | Procedure used to detect or measure a substance or reaction; test |
Aspiration | Use of suction to take liquids, gases, or cells from a body cavity or area, as in aspiration biopsy |
Ascites | Fluid buildup in the peritoneal (abdominal) cavity |
Arrhythmia | Changes in the rhythm of heartbeats or in the strength of heart contractions |
Apoprotein | |
Apnea | Short pauses or cessations in breathing |
Apheresis | Process of removing a specific component from blood, such as platelets or white blood cells, and returning the remaining components to the donor; allows for more of one particular component to be collected than could be separated from a unit of whole blood |
Antihistamine | A class of drugs that is used to treat allergies, hypersensitivity reactions, and the symptoms of colds. These drugs work by reducing the effects of histamine, a naturally-occurring substance that is released in response to inflammation and allergies. |
Antigen Testing | Also known as: Quantity Testing
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Antigen | 1. Substance that causes the production of an antibody that binds to the antigen in order to damage, neutralize or kill it. |
Anticoagulant | 1. Drug that delays blood clotting (e.g., heparin, warfarin); used in patients with or at risk for blood clots |
Antibody | Antibodies also called immunoglobulins are large Y-shaped proteins which function to identify and help remove foreign antigens or targets such as viruses and bacteria. Every different antibody recognizes a specific foreign antigen.
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Antibody | Also Known As: Ig; Antibody; Immune serum globulin; Immune globulin; Gamma globulin
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Antibiotic resistance | Ability of a microorganism to grow despite the presence of an antibiotic |
Anterior | At or toward the front |