| A | B |
|---|
| bacteria | simple microscopic organisms that are widespread throughout the world, and some of which can produce disease |
| cocci | round bacteria which may be in clusters (staphylococco), chains (streptococci), and other formations; can cause pneumonia, rheumatic fever, food poisoning, septicemia, urinary tract infections, or gonorrhea. |
| bacilli | rod-shaped bacteria; can cause typhoid, dysentery, salmonellosis, tuberculosis, botulism, tetanus. |
| spi-rochetes | corkscrew-shaped bacteria; can cause Lyme disease, syphilis, Vincent's disease |
| chlamydia | organisms smaller that bacteria that, like viruses, grow in living cells, but are susceptible to antibiotics; can cause conjunctivitis, trachoma, pelvic inflmmatory disease and other sexually transmitted diseases. |
| rickettsia | similar in growth to chlamydia; can cause typhus, Rocky Mountain spotted fever. |
| viruses | submicroscopic infectious agents that can live and reproduce only with living cells; can cause colds, herpes, hepatitis, measles, chickenpos, influenza, and AIDS. |
| fungi | simple, nongreen plants, some of which are parasitic, includes yeasts and molds; can cause candidiasis, skin infections, valley fever. |
| protozoa | single-celled animals; can cause dysentery, Trichomonas infections, malaria. |
| helminths | worms; can cause trichinosis, infestations with roundworms, pinworms , and hookworms. |
| benign | not recurrent or malignant, favorable for recovery; describing tumors which do not spread (metastasize) |
| carcinoma | malignant neoplasm composed of epithelial cells |
| cyst | a filled sac or pouch that is usually abnormal; also used as a root word meaning a normal bladder or sac (such as urinary bladder or gallbladder) |
| hernia | protrusion of an organ through an abnormal opening; a rupture |
| malignant | growing worse, harmful, tending to cause death, describing tumors that spread |
| neoplasm | an abnormal and uncontrolled growth of tissue(tumor) that may be benign or malignant |
| parasite | an organism that grows on or in another organism causing damage to it |
| pathogen | an organism capable of causing disease |
| prolapse | a dropping of an organ or part(ptosis) |
| pus | a product of inflammation consisting of fluid and white blood cells |
| sarcoma | a malignant neoplasm arising from connective tissue |
| toxin | a poison |
| acute | sudden, severe; having a short course |
| acid-fast stain | a lab staining procedure used mainly to identify the tuberculosis organism |
| chronic | of long duration; progressing slowly |
| etiology | the cause of a disease |
| exacerbation | worsening of disease; increased severity of a disease or its symptoms |
| iatrogenic | caused by the effects of treatment |
| Gram stain | a lab staining procedure that divides bacteria into two groups; Gram positive, (which stain blue), and Gram negative(which stain red) |
| idiopathic | having no known cause |
| in situ | localized, noninvasive( in position); said of tumors that do not spread(metastisize) such as sarcoma in situ |
| nosocomial | describes an infection acquired in a hospital |
| opportunistic | describes an infection that occurs because of a poor or altered condition of the host |
| remission | a lessening of disease symptoms, the period during which such lessening occurs |
| sepsis | the presence of harmful microorganisms or their toxins in the blood or other tissues |
| septicemia | presence of pathogenic bacteria in the blood; blood poisoning |
| systemic | pertaining to the whole body |
| trauma | a physical or psychological wound or injury |
| abscess | a localized collection of pus |
| adhesion | a uniting of two surfaces or parts that may normally be separated |
| anaplasia | lack of normal differentiation shown by cancer cells |
| ascites | accumulation of fluid in the peritoneal cavity |
| cellulitis | a spreading inflammation of tissue |
| effusion | escape of fluid into a cavity or other body part |
| exudate | material that escapes from blood vessels as a result of injury to tissues |
| fissure | a groove or split |
| fistula | an abnormal passage between two organs or from an organ to the surface of the body |
| gangrene | death of tissue, usually caused by lack of blood supply, may be associated with bacterial infection and decomposition |
| hyperplasia | excessive growth of normal cells in normal arrangement |
| hypertrophy | an increase in size of an organ without increase in the number of cells which may result form an increase in activity, as in muscles |
| induration | hardening; an abnormally hard spot or place |
| lesion | a distinct area of damaged tissue; an injury or wound |
| metaplasia | conversion of cells to a form that is not normal for that tissue |
| polyp | a tumor attached by a thin stalk |
| prolapse | a dropping of an organ or part(ptosis) |
| purulent | forming or containing pus |
| suppuration | pus formation |
| abbreviation "CA" | cancer |
| abbreviation "CIS" | carcinoma in situ |
| abbreviation "FUO" | fever of unknown origin |
