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General Medicine Terms

- B -

  • Bacteriophage

  • A virus whose host is a bacterium; commonly called phage.

  • Balance

  • Biological system that enables individuals to know where their bodies are in the environment and to maintain a desired position; normal balance depends on information from the labyrinth in the inner ear, and from other senses such as sight and touch.

  • Balance disorder

  • Disruption in the labyrinth - the inner ear organ that controls the balance system allowing individuals to know where their bodies are in the environment.

  • Balloon angioplasty (CORONARY ARTERY BALLOON DILATION)

  • A procedure used to widen narrowed arteries. The procedure uses a catheter with a deflated balloon at the tip that is inserted into the narrowed part of the artery. The balloon is then inflated, causing the artery to dilate (widen).

  • Barium

  • A metallic, chemical, chalky, liquid used to coat the inside of organs so that they will show up on an x-ray.

  • Barium swallow

  • Upper gastrointestinal (GI) series.

  • Barotrauma

  • Injury to the middle ear caused by a reduction of air pressure.

  • Barr body

  • The condensed single X-chromosome seen in the nuclei of somatic cells of female mammals.

  • Basal body temperature

  • Temperature of a person's body taken first thing in the morning after several hours of sleep and before any activity, including getting out of bed or talking; often charted to determine the time of ovulation.

  • Basal ganglia

  • Several large clusters of nerve cells, including the striatum and the substantia nigra, deep in the brain below the cerebral hemispheres.

  • Basal metabolic rate (BMR)

  • A measurement of energy required to keep the body functioning at rest. Measured in calories, metabolic rates increase with exertion, stress, fear, and/or illness.

  • Base of the lung

  • Bottom portion of lower lobes of the lungs, located just above the diaphragm.

  • Base pair

  • The two complementary, nitrogen-rich molecules held together by weak chemical bonds. Two strands of DNA are held together in the shape of a double helix by the bonds between their base pairs. (See chemical base.)

  • Base sequence

  • The order of nucleotide bases in a DNA molecule.

  • Base sequence analysis

  • A method, sometimes automated, for determining the base sequence.

  • Benign

  • Not cancerous; does not invade nearby tissue or spread to other parts of the body.

  • Beta blocker

  • An antihypertensive medication that limits the activity of epinephrine (a hormone that increases blood pressure).

  • Beta cells

  • Cells that make insulin, found in areas of the pancreas called the islets of Langerhans.

  • Biarthrodial muscles

  • Muscles that span over two joints and have a function over those joints.

  • Bilateral

  • Affecting both sides of the body; for example, bilateral breast cancer is cancer occurring in both breasts at the same time (synchronous) or at different times (metachronous).

  • Bile Duct

  • Tubular structures responsible for conducting bile (a substance that AIDS in digestion) from the liver to the intestine.

  • Biliary Obstruction

  • Blockage or clogging of a bile duct.

  • Biliary tract (BILIARY SYSTEM OR BILIARY TREE)

  • Gallbladder and the bile ducts.

  • Bilirubin

  • A red pigment formed from hemoglobin during normal and abnormal destruction of red blood cells in the body.

  • Binocular vision

  • The ability to use both eyes at once.

  • Biologic response modifiers

  • Substances that boost the body�s immune system to fight against cancer. (See also interferon.)

  • Biological therapy

  • Treatment to stimulate or restore the ability of the immune system to fight infection and disease. Also called immunotherapy.

  • Biological therapy (IMMUNOTHERAPY, BIOTHERAPY, OR BIOLOGICAL RESPONSE MODIFIER THERAPY)

  • Uses the body�s immune system, either directly or indirectly, to fight cancer or to lessen side effects that may be caused by some cancer treatments.

  • Biopsy

  • The removal of a sample of tissue, which is then examined under a microscope to check for cancer cells. When only a sample of tissue is removed, the procedure is called incisional biopsy; when the whole tumor is removed, it is excisional biopsy. Removing tissue or fluid with a needle is called needle biopsy or needle aspiration.

  • Biotechnology

  • A set of biological techniques developed through basic research and now applied to research and product development.

  • Bipolar Affective Disorder

  • A mood disorder that commonly begins with depression and is characterized by at least one period of elation sometime during the course of the illness.

  • Bismuth subsalicylate

  • Nonprescription medicine used to treat diarrhea, heartburn, indigestion, and nausea; also part of the treatment for ulcers caused by the bacterium Helicobacter pylori.

  • Bladder

  • A hollow organ that urine drains into from the kidneys.

  • Blink rate

  • The number of times per minute that the eyelid automatically closes - normally 10 to 30 times per minute.

  • Blood plasma

  • The fluid part of blood that contains nutrients, glucose, proteins, minerals, enzymes, and other substances.

  • Blood pressure cuff

  • A device usually placed around the upper part of the arm to measure blood pressure.

  • Blood-brain barrier

  • The protective membrane that separates circulating blood from brain cells.

  • Body mass index (BMI)

  • A number, derived by using height and weight measurements, that gives a general indication of whether or not weight falls within a healthy range.

  • Bone

  • Living tissue that makes up the body's skeleton.

  • Bone density test

  • A test that measures the strength and density of bones; often used to determine the risk of developing osteoporosis.

  • Bone marrow transplantation

  • A procedure in which doctors replace marrow destroyed by treatment with high doses of anticancer drugs or radiation. The replacement marrow may be taken from the patient before treatment or may be donated by another person. When the patient's own marrow is used, the procedure is called autologous (aw-TOL-o-gus) bone marrow transplantation.

  • Borborygmi (STOMACH 'GROWLING')

  • Rumbling sounds caused by gas moving through the intestines.

  • Borrelia

  • A genus of bacteria with numerous species that cause disease in humans. The diseases associated with these organisms are typically relapsing fevers.

  • Botanical

  • Of plants and plant life.

  • Bowel

  • Another word for the small and large intestines.

  • Bowel movement

  • Body wastes passed through the rectum and anus.

  • Bowel prep

  • Process used to clean the colon with enemas and a special drink; used before surgery of the colon, colonoscopy, or barium x-ray and other imaging exams. (See also lavage.)

  • Brady

  • Suffix meaning slow.

  • Bradycardia

  • Abnormally slow heartbeat.

  • Bradykinesia

  • Slowness of movement.

  • Bradyphrenia

  • Slowness of thought processes.

  • Brain attack

  • Another name for stroke.

  • Brain scan

  • An imaging method used to find abnormalities in the brain, including brain cancer and cancer that has spread to the brain from other places in the body.

  • Brainstem implant

  • Auditory prosthesis that bypasses the cochlea and auditory nerve to help individuals who cannot benefit from a cochlear implant because the auditory nerves are not working.

  • Braxton Hicks contractions

  • Relatively brief, painless contractions of the uterus that may begin during the second half of pregnancy.

  • BRCA1

  • A gene, which, when damaged or mutated, places a woman at much higher risk of developing breast and/or ovarian cancer than the general population.

  • BRCA1

  • A gene that normally helps to restrain cell growth.

  • BRCA1 breast cancer susceptibility gene

  • A mutated version of BRCA1, which predisposes a person toward developing breast cancer.

  • BRCA2

  • A gene, which, when damaged or mutated, places a woman at a much higher risk for developing breast cancer and/or ovarian cancer than the general population.

  • Breast cancer

  • A cancerous tumor of the breast tissue.

  • Breast conservation therapy

  • Surgery to remove a breast cancer and a small amount of benign tissue around the cancer without removing any other part of the breast. This procedure is also called lumpectomy, segmental excision, limited breast surgery, or tylectomy. (See also lumpectomy

  • Breast implant

  • A manufactured sac that is filled with silicone gel (a synthetic material) or saline (sterile saltwater); the sac is surgically inserted to increase breast size or restore the contour of a breast after mastectomy.

  • Breast reconstruction

  • Surgery to rebuild a breast mound after mastectomy.

  • Breast specialist

  • Term describing health care professionals who have a dedicated interest in breast health. While they may acquire specialized knowledge in this area, medical licensing boards do not certify a specialty in breast care.

  • Bronchodilators

  • A group of drugs that widen the airways in the lungs.

  • Bronchus (PL BRONCHI)

  • One of the two large airways of the lungs. The trachea divides into the right and left bronchi.

  • Budd-Chiari syndrome

  • A rare liver disease in which the veins that drain blood from the liver are blocked or narrowed.

  • Bulimia Nervosa

  • A disorder marked by morbidly increased appetite, often alternating with periods of anorexia.

  • Bulking agents

  • Laxatives that make bowel movements soft and easy to pass.

  • Bundle-branch block

  • A condition in which the heart's electrical system is unable to normally conduct the electrical signal.


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General Medicine Terms


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