Copy of `Dorland's Medical Dictionary`

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Dorland's Medical Dictionary Category: Health and Medicine > Medical Dictionary Date & country: 31/12/2010, USA Words: 39128

globular protein
any of the group of simple proteins soluble in water or dilute salt solution, their polypeptide chains coiled into a globular shape; they constitute most of the proteins in the body, including albumins, globulins, histones, and protamines. Cf. fibrous protein.

globule
(glob´ūl) a small spherical mass; a little globe or pellet, as of medicine. adj., glob´ular., adj.

globulin
(glob´u-lin) any of numerous proteins that are insoluble in water or highly concentrated salt solutions but soluble in moderately concentrated salt solutions. Almost all plasma proteins are globulins; the most important exception is albumin. The plasma globulins are separated into five fractions by serum proteinelectrop...

globulinuria
(glob″u-lĭ-nu´re-ә) proteinuria in which globulin is excreted in the urine.

globus
(glo´bәs) pl. glo´bi Latin word meaning sphere. a spherical structure. eyeball. globus hystericus the subjective sensation of a lump in the throat. globus pallidus the smaller and more medial part of the lentiform nucleus of...

glochid
(glo´kid) a small barbed hair or bristle found on certain species of cactus, such as the prickly pears (species Opuntia), a common cause of mechanical irritant dermatitis.

glomangioma
(glo-man″je-o´mә) glomus tumor.

glomectomy
(glo-mek´tә-me) excision of a glomus.

glomera
(glom´әr-ә) plural of glomus.

glomerular
(glo-mer´u-lәr) pertaining to or of the nature of a glomerulus, especially a renal glomerulus.

glomerular capsule
Bowman capsule.

glomerular cell
glomus cell (def. 1).

glomerular filtrate
the ultrafiltrate of plasma that passes across the membranes of the renal corpuscles into the urinary space.

glomerular filtration rate
an expression of the quantity of glomerular filtrate formed each minute in the nephrons of both kidneys, calculated by measuring the clearance of specific substances, such as inulin or creatinine.

glomerular membrane
glomerular basement membrane the fenestrated basement membrane of the visceral layer of the glomerular capsule, lying adjacent to the capillaries.

glomerular nephritis
glomerulonephritis.

glomerular proteinuria
the most common kind of proteinuria, being due to glomerular disease and abnormal permeability of the glomerular capillaries to protein.

glomerular sclerosis
glomerulosclerosis.

glomeruli
(glo-mer´u-li) plural of glomerulus.

glomerulitis
(glo-mer″u-li´tis) inflammation of the glomeruli of the kidney.

glomerulonephritis
(glo-mer″u-lo-nә-fri´tis) a variety of nephritis characterized by inflammation of the capillary loops in the glomeruli of the kidney. It occurs in acute, subacute, and chronic forms and may be secondary to an infection, especially with the hemolytic streptococcus.

glomerulonephropathy
(glo-mer″u-lo-nә-frop´ә-the) any noninflammatory disease of the renal glomeruli.

glomerulopathy
(glo-mer″u-lop´ә-the) any disease, especially any noninflammatory disease, of the renal glomeruli. diabetic glomerulopathy intercapillary glomerulosclerosis.

glomerulosclerosis
(glo-mer″u-lo-sklә-ro´sis) arteriolar nephrosclerosis. diabetic glomerulosclerosis a degenerative complication of diabetes mellitus in which there is glomerular mesangial expansion with either diffuse lesions or nodular (Kimmelstiel-Wilson) lesions; symptoms include a...

glomerulus
(glo-mer´u-lәs) pl. glomer´uli Latin word meaning small tuft or cluster. In anatomy, it is used to name such a structure, such as one made up of a mass of capillaries. adj., glomer´ular., adj. renal glomerulus a network of tufts of blood vessels within the kidney. It is encl...

glomoid
(glo´moid) resembling a glomus.

glomus
(glo´mәs) pl. glom´era a small body composed primarily of fine arterioles connecting directly with veins, and having a rich nerve supply. glomus caroticum , carotid glomus carotid body. glomus choroideum an enlargement of the choroid p...

glomus cell
any of the moderately large specific epithelioid cells (type I) of the carotid body (see glomus caroticum) containing abundant cytoplasm and membrane-bound, electron-dense granules and having a few dendritic processes; they are richly supplied with nerve endings and are surrounded by cells without cytoplasmic granules (type II)...

glomus jugulare tumor
a chemodectoma involving the tympanic body (glomus jugulare). It may cause symptoms in the ear (see glomus tympanicum tumor) or in the mouth (hoarseness, dysphagia, aspiration, or tongue atrophy).

glomus tumor
a painful type of chemodectoma that is blue or red and has an arteriovenous anastomosis or cluster of blood cells; it may be found anywhere in the skin, most often near the end of a finger or toe, especially underneath the nail. Less often these are found in the stomach or the nasal cavity. chemodectoma.

glomus tympanicum tumor
a type of glomus jugulare tumor involving the glomus tympanicum adjacent to the promontory of the tympanic cavity. When large, the tumor may fill the tympanic cavity, causing tinnitus and conductive hearing loss.

glomus vagale tumor
a chemodectoma of a glomus vagale. Those along the auricular branch of the nerve often cause vocal cord paralysis with subsequent tinnitus and deafness.

glossal
(glos´әl) lingual (def. 1).

glossalgia
(glos-al´jә) pain in the tongue.

glossectomy
(glos-ek´tә-me) excision of all or a portion of the tongue.

Glossina
(glŏ-si´nә) the tsetse flies, a genus of biting flies that serve as vectors of trypanosomes, causing trypanosomiasis in humans and other animals.

glossitis
(glos-i´tis) inflammation of the tongue. median rhomboid glossitis a congenital disorder of noninflammatory origin, characterized by a somewhat rhomboid reddish, smooth, and shiny lesion with some opalescent spots, occurring at about the middle third of the dorsal surface of the ...

glossocele
(glos´o-sēl) swelling and protrusion of the tongue.

glossodynia
(glos″o-din´e-ә) pain in the tongue.

glossograph
(glos´o-graf) an apparatus for registering tongue movements in speech.

glossolabial paralysis
glossopharyngolabial paralysis progressive bulbar palsy.

glossolalia
(glos″o-la´le-ә) gibberish that simulates coherent speech.

glossology
(glos-ol´ә-je) the sum of knowledge regarding the tongue.

glossopalatine glands
mucous glands at the posterior end of the smaller sublingual glands.

glossopathy
(glos-op´ә-the) any disease of the tongue.

glossopharyngeal
(glos″o-fә-rin´je-әl) pertaining to the tongue and pharynx.

glossopharyngeal breathing
frog breathing.

glossopharyngeal nerve
the ninth cranial nerve; it originates as several rootlets from the medulla oblongata, between the olive and the inferior cerebellar peduncle, and supplies the carotid sinus, mucous membrane, and muscles of the pharynx, soft palate, and posterior third of the tongue, and the taste buds in the posterior third of the tongue. It p...

glossopharyngeal neuralgia
that affecting the petrosal and jugular ganglion of the glossopharyngeal nerve, marked by severe paroxysmal pain originating on the side of the throat and extending to the ear.

glossoplasty
(glos´o-plas″te) plastic surgery of the tongue.

glossorrhaphy
(glos-or´ә-fe) suture of the tongue.

glossospasm
(glos´o-spaz″әm) spasm of the tongue.

glossotomy
(glos-ot´ә-me) incision of the tongue.

glossotrichia
(glos″o-trik´e-ә) hairy tongue.

glottic
(glot´ik) glottal.

glottic spasm
laryngospasm.

glottis
(glot´is) pl. glot´tides the vocal apparatus of the larynx, consisting of the true vocal cords (vocal folds) and the opening between them. adj., glot´tal., adj.

glover's suture
lock-stitch suture.

glucagon
(gloo´kә-gon) a polypeptide hormone secreted by the alpha cells of the islets of langerhans in response to hypoglycemia or to stimulation by growth hormone. It increases blood glucose concentration by stimulating glycogenolysis in the liver and can be administered parenterally to relieve severe hypoglycemia from any cau...

glucagon stimulation test
a provocative test of growth hormone (GH) function in which the fasting serum level of GH is measured after administration of glucagon.

glucagonoma
(gloo″kә-gon-o´mә) a type of islet cell tumor of the alpha cells that secretes glucagon.

glucagonoma syndrome
the spectrum of symptoms caused by a glucagonoma, associated with high blood levels of glucagon, mild diabetes mellitus, weight loss, anemia, glossitis, stomatitis, angular cheilitis, blepharitis, and necrolytic migratory erythema.

gluceptate
(gloo-sep´tāt) USAN contraction for glucoheptonate.

glucocerebroside
(gloo″ko-sә-re´bro-sīd″) a cerebroside containing a glucose sugar; it accumulates in the tissues in Gaucher disease.

glucocorticoid
(gloo″ko-kor´tĭ-koid) any corticosteroid that increases gluconeogenesis, raising the concentration of liver glycogen and blood glucose; the group includes cortisol, cortisone, and corticosterone. The principal glucocorticoid hormone is cortisol, which regulates metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids. Man...

glucofuranose
(gloo″ko-fu´rә-nōs) a form of glucose in which carbon atoms 1 and 4 are bridged by an oxygen atom.

glucogenic
(gloo″ko-jen´ik) giving rise to or producing sugar.

glucokinase
(gloo″ko-ki´nās) an enzyme that in the presence of ATP catalyzes glucose to glucose-6-phosphate.

glucokinetic
(gloo″ko-kĭ-net´ik) activating sugar so as to maintain the sugar level of the body.

gluconeogenesis
(gloo″ko-ne″o-jen´ә-sis) the synthesis of glucose from noncarbohydrate sources, such as amino acids or glycerol. It occurs primarily in the liver and kidneys whenever the supply of carbohydrates is insufficient to meet the body's energy needs. Gluconeogenesis is stimulated by cortisol and other glucoco...

glucophore
(gloo´ko-for) the group of atoms in a molecule that gives the compound a sweet taste.

glucopyranose
(gloo″ko-pir´ә-nōs) a form of glucose in which carbon atoms 1 and 5 are bridged by an oxygen atom.

glucosamine
(gloo-kōs´ә-mēn) an amino derivative of glucose occurring in many glycoproteins and mucopolysaccharides.

glucose
(gloo´kōs) a monosaccharide that is found in many foods, especially fruit, and is the end product of carbohydrate digestion in the body. Soon after digestion, other monosaccharides such as fructose and galactose get converted into glucose, so that it is the only monosaccharide present in significant amounts in body fluid...

glucose intolerance
inability to properly metabolize glucose, a type of carbohydrate intolerance; see diabetes mellitus.

glucose test
any of various laboratory tests for glucose in the urine; many formerly common ones are no longer used. See Benedict test, Rubner test, and saccharimeter test.

glucose tolerance factor
a biologically active complex of chromium and nicotinic acid that facilitates the reaction of insulin with receptor sites on tissues.

glucose tolerance test
a test of the body's ability to use glucose; it is often done to detect abnormalities of carbohydrate metabolism such as occur in diabetes mellitus, hypoglycemia, and liver and adrenocortical dysfunction. In the standard oral glucose tolerance test, the patient is given a single dose of glucose in a fasting stomach and blood and urin...

glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase
an enzyme necessary for the oxidation of glucose-6-phosphate, an intermediate in carbohydrate metabolism. Hereditary deficiency of this enzyme in the erythrocytes is associated with a tendency toward hemolysis upon ingestion of certain antimalarial agents and sulfonamide drugs and fava beans (see favism.

glucosidase
(gloo-ko´sĭ-dās) an enzyme of the hydrolase class that splits glucoside, occurring as α-, β-, and α-1,3-glucosidase; α-glucosidase (maltase) occurs in intestinal juice, and β-glucosidase (cellobiase) in the kidney, liver, and intestinal mucosa.

glucosuria
(gloo″ko-su´re-ә) glycosuria.

glucuronate
(gloo-ku´ro-nāt) a salt, ester, or anionic form of glucuronic acid.

glucuronic acid
(gloo″ku-ron´ik) a uronic acid formed by oxidation of C-6 of glucose to a carboxy group; it occurs in proteoglycans (mucopolysaccharides), and is important in the conjugation of xenobiotics; it is conjugated to many poisons and drugs by the liver, forming glucuronides, which markedly decreases their toxicity and enhance...

glucuronide
(gloo″ku-ron´īd) any glycosidic compound of glucuronic acid; glucuronides, which are generally inactive, constitute the major proportion of the metabolites of many phenols, alcohols, and carboxylic acids.

glue ear
a chronic condition marked by a collection of thick fluid in the middle ear, due to obstruction of the eustachian tube.

glutamate
(gloo´tә-māt) a salt of glutamic acid; in biochemistry, the term is often used interchangeably with glutamic acid.

glutamic acid
(gloo-tam´ik) a nonessential amino acid that is also an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. Its hydrochloride salt is used as a gastric acidifier. See also monosodium glutamate.

glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase
(GOT) (gloo-tam´ik oks″ә-lo-ә-se´tik trans-am´ĭ-nās) aspartate transaminase.

glutamic-pyruvic transaminase
(GPT) (gloo-tam´ik pi-roo´vik trans-am´ĭ-nās) alanine transaminase.

glutaminase
(gloo-tam´ĭ-nās) an enzyme that catalyzes the splitting of glutamine into glutamic acid and ammonia.

glutamine
(gloo´tә-mēn) an amide of glutamic acid, one of the nonessential amino acids; it is an important carrier of urinary ammonia and is broken down in the kidney by the enzyme glutaminase.

glutaral
(gloo´tә-rәl) glutaraldehyde.

glutaraldehyde
(gloo″tә-ral´dә-hīd) a disinfectant used in aqueous solution for sterilization of heat-sensitive equipment and instruments; it is a broad-spectrum microbicide effective against all vegetative bacteria, fungi, and viruses, is sporicidal, and may be used as a liquid sterilant with an extended ...

glutathione
(gloo″tә-thi´ōn) a tripeptide of glutamic acid, cysteine, and glycine; the reduced form (GSH) serves as a reducing agent in many biochemical reactions, being converted to oxidized glutathione (GSSG) in which the cysteine residues of two glutathione molecules are connected by a disulfide bridge. Re...

glutathionuria
(gloo″tә-thi″on-u´re-ә) the excretion of excessive amounts of glutathione in the urine, sometimes due to a hereditary enzyme deficiency that can cause mental retardation.

gluteal
(gloo´te-әl) pertaining to the buttocks; called also natal and pygal.

gluteal fold
the crease separating the buttocks from the thigh.

gluteal furrow
the skin furrow that separates the buttocks.

gluteal gait
the gait characteristic of paralysis of the gluteus medius muscle, marked by a listing of the trunk toward the affected side at each step.

gluteal line
any of the three rough curved lines (anterior, inferior, and posterior) on the gluteal surface of the ala of the ilium.