| S |
| sacrum |
large triangle-shaped bone at the bottom of the spine just above the tailbone |
| sagittal plane |
divides the body into a right and left side |
| saliva |
liquid in the mouth that helps with swallowing food; spit |
| salivary glands |
glands that make saliva |
| salpingectomy |
surgery to remove the uterine tube |
| salpingitis |
inflammation of the uterine tubes |
| salpingo-oophorectomy |
surgery to remove an ovary and uterine tube |
| salpingocele |
uterine tube bulging out of an abnormal opening |
| salpingocyesis |
pregnancy growing in the uterine tube |
| salpingostomy |
surgery to make an openig into or to open a blockage of a uterine tube |
| salphinx |
tube down which the egg travels from the ovary to the uterus |
| sarcoma |
cancer of connective tissue cells |
| saw |
tool with a notched blade used for cutting |
| scabies |
itchy skin infection by a microscopic bug called a mite; mange |
| scapule |
shoulder blade |
| Schick test |
skin test used to detect diphtheria |
| sciatica |
pain running down from the lower back to the buttocks to the back or side of the leg |
| scissors |
tool with two sharp blades used for cutting tissue |
| sclera |
outer protective layer of the eye; "whites of the eyes" |
| scleral buckling |
surgery to fix a detached retina |
| scleroderma |
hardening and thickening of the skin |
| sclerokeratitis |
inflammation of the sclera and the cornea |
| scleromalacia |
softening of the sclera seen in patients with rheumatoid arthritis |
| sclerotomy |
surgery to cut into the sclera |
| scoliosis |
S-shaped (side-to-side) curve of the spine |
| scratch test |
allergy test performed by putting a small amount of allergy-causing material on small skin patches to see if it causes a reaction |
| scrotum |
pouch that holds the testicles |
| sebaceous gland |
gland that discharges oil into the skin |
| seborrhea |
very oily skin |
| sedation |
calmness |
| sedative |
drug used to relax a person without making the person sleepy |
| seizure |
sudden, uncontrolled muscle spasms and loss of consciousness resulting from abnormal brain function |
| self-retaining |
stays in place without being held |
| semen |
fluid containing, sperm, which is discharged from the penis during the climax of sexual intercourse |
| semen analysis |
test used to count and examine the sperm cells |
| semicircular canals |
channels in the labyrinth of the ear |
| semilunar valves |
valves that control the flow of blood out of the heart by opening and closing with each heart beat |
| septoplasty |
surgery to fix the wall inside the nose |
| septotomy |
incision into the wall inside the nose |
| serrations |
small grooves in the edges or tips of tools that help to hold tissue |
| serum |
clear liquid part of blood |
| serum bilirubin |
blood teste used to detect liver disorder |
| serum calcium |
blood test used to find out how much calcium is in the blood |
| serum creatine kinase |
blood test used to measure creatine |
| serum enzyme test |
blood test used to detect the presence of certain chemicals discharges into the blood from dying heart muscle |
| serum phosphorus |
blood test used to measure the amount of phosphorus present |
| serum test. |
blood test used to measure the amount of endocrine material in the blood |
| sexually transmitted disease (STD) |
disorder spread by sexual contact |
| sharp |
with an edge or tip that cuts |
| shingles |
painful, fluid-filled blisters caused by herpesvirus infection |
| shunt |
artificial or natural channel running between two other channels |
| sialolith |
stone in a salivary gland or duct |
| sickle cell anemia |
genetic defect of hemoglobin causing red blood cells to change shape; symptoms include pain in the joints and belly, and ulcers on the legs |
| side effect |
an effect of a drug that is not related to the reason the drug is used |
| sigmoid colon |
the lower part of the colon just before the rectum |
| sigmoidoscope |
tool used to look into the sigmoid colon |
| single-blind trial |
test or experiment in which the person giving treatment, but not the patient, knows which treatment the patient is receiving |
| sinusotomy |
incision into the sinus |
| sleep apnea |
breathing problems while sleeping |
| slipped disk |
bulging out of a pad between bones of the spine, which often causes pinched nerve roots |
| small intestine |
the bowel between the stomach and the large intestine, including the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum |
| smooth |
without teeth or grooves; not rough |
| snare |
tool with a wire loop used for removing tissue growth |
| somatic |
having to do with the body |
| somatogenic |
caused by the body (rather than the mind) |
| somatopathy |
disorder of the body as opposed to the mind |
| spasm |
a muscle contraction that produces pain and interferes with use of the muscle |
| specific gravity |
test used to measure the amount of solid material and minerals in a liquid, such as the urine |
| speculum |
tools used to stretch and hold open an openinfg into a body channel, such as the nose or vagina |
| sperm |
the male sex cell that joins with a female egg to make a zygote and eventually a baby |
| sphygmocardiograph |
tool used to record arterial blood pressure |
| sphygmomanometer |
tool for measuring blood pressure |
| spina bifida |
birth defect in which the spine does not develop fully and close up |
| spinal cavity |
space inside the spinal column where the spinal cord is found |
| spinal cord |
the cord of nerve cells and nerve fibers running down the spine that helps guide messages to and from the brain |
| spirometer |
tool used to measure the amount of air going into and out of the lungs during breathing |
| spleen |
largest lymph organ in the body |
| splenectomy |
surgery to remove the spleen |
| splenomegaly |
enlarged spleen |
| splenopexy |
surgery to tie down the spleen |
| spondylosyndesis |
fusion of the spine |
| sputum |
fluid and material brought up from the lungs and windpipe and spit out through the mouth |
| squamous cell carcinoma |
cancer that usually occurs on the skin or in the lungs |
| staphylococcus |
type of bacteria |
| stenosis |
narrowing of a channel |
| stereotactic breast biopsy |
biopsy of breast tissue taken by using a three-dimensional body map to locate the tissue |
| sterilization |
the killing of all living germs; or a process to make a man or woman not able to have children |
| sternoclavicular |
having to do with the breastbone and the collarbone |
| sternoid |
like the breastbone |
| sternum |
breastbone |
| stethoscope |
tool used to listen to the sounds made by the heart, lungs, intestines, and other organs |
| stimulant. |
drug used to speed up the central nervous system |
| stomach |
the first part of the intestines that holds food for digestion after it is swallowed |
| stomatitis |
inflammation inside the mouth that sometimes occurs as an allergic reation; can also result from infection or virus |
| stomatogastric |
the mouth and stomach |
| stool |
bowel movement; feces |
| stool culture |
test for bacteria in stool |
| strabismus |
abnormal position of the eye, as in wall eye or crossed eyes |
| streptocoocus |
type of bacteria |
| streptomycin |
type of antibiotic |
| stricture |
area where a tube in the body is too narrow |
| stye |
pimple on the eyelid |
| subcostal |
below the ribs |
| subcutaneous (SC) |
under the skin |
| subdural |
below the outer layer of the meniges |
| sublingual |
under the tongue |
| sublingual administration |
giving a substance by placing it under the tongue (not to be swallowed) (e.g., nitroglycerin) |
| submandibular |
below the lower jaw |
| submaxillary |
below the upper jaw |
| subscapular |
below the shoulder blade |
| sulfonamide |
type of antibiotic |
| superficial |
close to the outside of the body |
| superior |
toward the top of the body |
| supine |
lying on the back |
| suppository |
drug that is given by putting it into the rectum, vagina, or urethra |
| suprarenal |
above the kidney; or having to do with the adrenal gland |
| suprascapular |
above the shoulder blade |
| sweat glands |
structures in and under the skin that makes sweat |
| swimmer's ear |
inflammation of the outer ear canal |
| sympatholytic |
drug used to slow down the action of certain types of nerves |
| sympathomimetic |
drug used to speed up heart rate, raise blood pressure, and open up air passages |
| symphysis |
type of joint where two bones meet but there is no movement |
| syncope |
fainting spell |
| syndrome |
set of signs that happen at the same time in the body |
| synergism |
combined action of two drugs used together that is better than using each drug alone |
| synoviosarcoma |
cancer of the joint |
| syphilis |
bacterial infection spread by sexual contact |
| system |
having to do with the whole body |
| systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) |
chronic disorder of connective tissue in which there can be skin rash, arthritis, kidney problems, and anemia, among other problems |
| systole |
the time when the heart contracts to pump blood to the body |
