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

Morgagni ventricle
ventricle of larynx.

Morgagni-Adams-Stokes syndrome
(mor-gah´nye ad´әmz stōks´) Adams-Stokes syndrome.

morgagnian cataract
a mature cataract in which most of the cortex has become opaque and liquefied, so that the nucleus moves freely within the lens.

Morganella
(mor″gә-nel´ә) a genus of gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped bacteria. The single species is M. morga´nii, which is a primary cause of urinary tract infections and is an opportunistic pathogen, causing secondary infections of the respiratory tract, blood, and wounds.

morgue
(morg) a place where dead bodies may be temporarily kept, for identification or until claimed for burial.

moribund
(mor´ĭ-bәnd) in a dying state.

moricizine
(mor-ĭ´sĭ-zēn) a phenothiazine derivative used as the hydrochloride salt in treatment of ventricular arrhythmias.

Morita therapy
a school of psychotherapy originating in Japan, based on the essential elements of conduct in Zen Buddhism. It emphasizes the combating of egocentricity and the correction of alienation from nature.

Morley peritoneocutaneous reflex
when any of the cerebrospinal nerve endings in the peritoneum or subperitoneal tissues are irritated, pain will be referred to the corresponding segmental skin area.

morning glory syndrome
a coloboma in which there is a funnel-shaped optic nerve head with a dot of whitish, fluffy material in the center, an elevated ring of pigment around the disk, and vessels radiating from the ring like spokes. Vision is severely affected.

morning sickness
nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, usually occurring during the early months. A majority of all women experience some degree of this during pregnancy, and about one third are affected to the point of vomiting. In most cases, morning sickness begins with a feeling of nausea on arising. Despite its name, it is not always...

Moro reflex
(mo´ro) flexion of an infant's thighs and knees, fanning and then clenching of fingers, with arms first thrown outward and then brought together as though embracing something; it is produced by a sudden stimulus, such as having the table struck loudly nearby, and is seen normally in the newborn. Called also embrac...

morphea
(mor-fe´ә) a localized type of scleroderma in which connective tissue replaces the skin and sometimes subcutaneous tissues, with formation of white or pink patches, bands, or lines that are sometimes bordered by a purple areola. The lesions are firm but not hard and are usually depressed; they may remain loc...

morpheaform basal cell carcinoma
morphealike basal cell carcinomamorpheic basal cell carcinoma a type of basal cell carcinoma usually seen on the face or neck as white, scarlike, telangiectatic lesions with poorly defined borders, characterized histologically by strands of basal cells surrounded by dense hyalinized stroma, and usually spreading laterally. Calle...

morphine
(mor´fēn) the principal and most active opium alkaloid, an opioid analgesic and respiratory depressant, usually used as the sulfate salt and administered orally, parenterally, or rectally. It is used as an analgesic for relief of severe pain, antitussive, adjunct to anesthesia, and adjunct to treatment of pulmonary...

morphinism
(mor´fin-iz″әm) a pathological state due to habitual misuse of morphine. morphine addiction.

morphogenesis
(mor″fo-jen´ә-sis) the developmental changes of growth and differentiation occurring in the organization of the body and its parts. adj., morphogenet´ic., adj.

morphological sex
sex determined on the basis of the morphology of the external genitals.

morphology
(mor-fol´ә-je) the science of the form and structure of organisms. the form and structure of a particular organism, organ, tissue, or cell. adj., morpholog´ic., adj.

morphometry
(mor-fom´ә-tre) the measurement of forms.

morphotype
(mor´fo-tīp) a group of bacterial strains within a single species that are distinguishable from other such strains because of morphological characteristics that may or may not indicate differing serological states.

Morquio syndrome
(mor´kyo) a form of mucopolysaccharidosis becoming evident when the affected infant starts to walk, marked by severe dwarfism, prominent sternum, short neck, kyphosis, genu valgum, and waddling gait; mental retardation is absent or slight. Called also osteochondrodystrophy and familial osteochondrodystrophy.

morrhuate
(mor´u-āt) the fatty acids of cod liver oil; the sodium salt is used as a sclerosing agent.

Morris syndrome
(mor´is) complete androgen resistance.

mortal
(mor´tәl) destined to die. fatal.

mortality
(mor-tal´ĭ-te) the quality of being mortal. death rate. the ratio of actual deaths to expected deaths.

mortality rate
death rate.

mortar
(mor´tәr) a vessel with a rounded internal surface, used with a pestle, for reducing a solid to a powder or producing a homogeneous mixture of solids.

mortification
(mor″tĭ-fĭ-ka´shәn) gangrene.

Morton disease
(mor´tәn) Morton footMorton neuralgia tenderness or pain in the metatarsal area of the foot and in the third and fourth toes caused by pressure on a neuroma of the branch of the medial plantar nerve supplying these toes. The neuroma is produced by chronic compression of the nerve between the metatarsal heads.

Morton syndrome
(mor´tәn) a congenital insufficiency of the first metatarsal segment of the foot, characterized by metatarsalgia due to shortening or relaxation of the part.

Morton test
(for metatarsalgia) transverse pressure is exerted across the heads of the metatarsals; in metatarsalgia this will cause a sharp pain, especially between the second and third metatarsals.

Morton toe
(mor´tәn) Morton neuralgia.

morula
(mor´u-lә) a solid mass of cells (blastomeres) resembling a mulberry, formed by cleavage of a zygote. an inclusion body seen in circulating leukocytes in ehrlichiosis.

Morvan syndrome
(mor-vah´) syringomyelia. a form of syringomyelia with painless ulceration of the fingertips and analgesic paralysis and atrophy of the forearms and hands.

mosaic
(mo-za´ik) a pattern made of numerous small pieces fitted together. in genetics, an individual composed of two or more cell lines that are karyotypically or genotypically distinct but are derived from a single zygote.

mosaic wart
an irregular lesion on the palm or sole with a granular surface, an aggregation of contiguous warts.

mosaicism
(mo-za´ĭ-siz″әm) in genetics, the presence in an individual of two or more cell lines that are karyotypically or genotypically distinct and are derived from a single zygote.

Moschcowitz disease
(mosh´ko-wits″) thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.

Moschcowitz sign
Moschcowitz test (for arteriosclerosis) the lower limb is rendered bloodless by means of an Esmarch bandage, which is removed after five minutes; in a normal limb the color returns in a few seconds, but in an arteriosclerotic one color returns more slowly. Called also hyperemia test.

Mosler sign
sternal tenderness in acute myeloblastic leukemia.

mOsm
milliosmole.

mosquito
(mәs-ke´to) any of various small winged insects, many of which are blood-sucking and important vectors of disease. The most important genera are Aedes, Anopheles, and Culex, which are responsible for the transmission of yellow fever, malaria, dengue, and other diseases.

Mosse syndrome
(maw´sә) polycythemia vera with cirrhosis of the liver.

mossy cell
any of the cells of the oligodendroglia or of the microglia.

Motais operation
(mo-ta´) transplantation of a portion of the tendon of the superior rectus muscle of the eyeball into the upper lid, for ptosis.

moth dermatitis
insect dermatitis caused by moth hairs.

mother
(muth´әr) the female parent. something from which another thing is derived, as a mother cell. genetic mother the woman whose contribution to the child was the oocyte, and hence genes. Sometimes a woman who cannot carry a fetus can nevertheless be a genetic mother via i...

mother cell
a cell that divides to form new, or daughter, cells.

motile
(mo´tәl) (mo´tīl) having spontaneous but not conscious or volitional movement.

motilin
(mo-til´in) a polypeptide hormone secreted by enterochromaffin cells of the gut; it causes increased motility of several portions of the gut and stimulates pepsin secretion. Its release is stimulated by the presence of acid and fat in the duodenum.

motility
(mo-til´ĭ-te) the ability or power to move spontaneously.

motion sickness
discomfort felt by some people on a moving boat, airplane, automobile, or train (see airsickness, carsickness, and seasickness). Some people even get motion sickness on an elevator or swing. The discomfort is caused by irregular and abnormal motion that disturbs the organs of equilibrium in the inner ear. There may be mild symp...

motoceptor
(mo´to-sep″tәr) any muscle sense receptor.

motoneuron
(mo″to-noor´on) an efferent neuron that conveys motor impulses from the center to cause body parts to move. Called also motor neuron Motoneuron shown as the efferent neuron in a three-neuron reflex arc. lower motoneuron a peripheral neuron whos...

motor
(mo´tәr) pertaining to motion. a muscle, nerve, or center that effects movements.

motor aphasia
aphasia in which there is impairment of the ability to speak and write, owing to a lesion in the insula and surrounding operculum including the Broca motor speech area. The patient understands written and spoken words but has difficulty uttering the words. See also receptive aphasia. Called also logaphasia and Broca, expressive, or n...

motor apraxia
impairment of skilled movements that is not explained by weakness of the affected parts; the patient appears clumsy rather than weak.

motor area
any area of the cerebral cortex primarily involved in stimulating muscle contractions; most are in the precentral gyri. See also premotor area, sensorimotor area, and Broca motor speech area.

motor ataxia
inability to coordinate the movements of the muscles; called also kinetic ataxia.

motor cell
motoneuron.

motor control
the generation and coordination of movement patterns to produce function; it may either control movements of the body in space or stabilize the body in space. See also postural control.

motor end plate
the discoid expansion of a terminal branch of the axon of a motor nerve fiber, which apposes the sole plate of a skeletal muscle fiber, forming the neuromuscular junction.

motor fibers
efferent fibers.

motor nerve
an efferent nerve that stimulates muscle contraction.

motor neuron
motoneuron.

motor neuron disease
motor system disease any disease of the motor neurons, including spinal muscular atrophy, progressive bulbar palsy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and lateral sclerosis.

motor nucleus
any collection of cells in the central nervous system giving origin to a motor nerve.

motor paralysis
paralysis of the voluntary muscles.

motor paralytic bladder
neurogenic bladder due to impairment of the motor neurons or nerves controlling the bladder. The acute form is marked by painful distention and inability to initiate urination; the chronic form is marked by difficulty in initiating urination, straining, decreased size and force of the stream, interrupted stream, and recurrent i...

motor point
the point at which a motor nerve enters a muscle. any point on the skin over a muscle at which the application of galvanic stimulation will cause contraction of a corresponding muscle.

motor point block
interruption of impulses, by anesthesia or destruction of the nerve, at a motor point in order to relieve spasticity; a common method is phenol motor point block. Called also intramuscular neurolysis.

motor protein
a general term encompassing several families of ATP-binding proteins (myosin, kinesin, and dynein) that use the energy from ATP hydrolysis to power movement of subcellular components along a polarized substrate (actin filaments and microtubules).

motor root of spinal nerve
anterior root of spinal nerve.

motor skills disorder
any disorder characterized by inadequate development of motor coordination severe enough to limit locomotion or restrict the ability to perform tasks, schoolwork, or other activities. Included is developmental coordination d.

motor speech area
see Broca motor speech area and Wernicke area.

motor unit
the unit of motor activity formed by a motor nerve cell and its many innervated muscle fibers.

Motrin
(mo´trin) trademark for preparations of ibuprofen, a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug.

Mott bodies
clear globules found in the cytoplasm of plasma cells (Mott cells) in multiple myeloma and certain other conditions.

Mott cell
an abnormal plasma cell that contains Mott bodies or Russell bodies, seen in multiple myeloma and in the brain in late stages of African trypanosomiasis.

mottle
(mot´'l) unevenness of density or texture on a recorded radiographic image. grid mottle in radiology, a widening of grid lines when the grid is in motion. quantum mottle mottle caused by quantum noise.

mottling
(mot´ling) a condition of spotting with patches of color.

moulage
(moo-lahzh´) a wax model of a structure or lesion.

moulage sign
a waxy cast appearance of bowel segments, a radiographic sign of celiac disease.

mould
(mōld) mold.

mounding
(mound´ing) the rising in a lump of a wasting muscle when struck.

mount
(mount) to prepare specimens and slides for study.

Mount syndrome
(mount) Mount-Reback syndrome a rare autosomal dominant disorder characterized by paroxysmal attacks of choreoathetosis and dystonic movements with Kayser-Fleischer rings on the corneas. It appears in childhood or young adulthood and does not involve a change in consciousness. Called also paroxysmal or familial par...

mountain anemia
a misnomer for mountain sickness.

mountain disease
mountain sickness.

mountain sickness
a type of altitude sickness caused by exposure to altitudes high enough to cause hypoxia; it occurs because the decreased atmospheric pressure causes a lowering of oxygen in the arterial blood. There are three types, called acute, subacute, and chronic; the subacute and chronic forms can be cured by descent to a lower altitude....

mountain tick fever
Colorado tick fever.

mouse
(mous) a small rodent, various species of which are used in laboratory experiments. a small loose body. a computer pointing device.

mouth
(mouth) an opening or aperture. the oral cavity, which forms the beginning of the digestive system and in which the chewing of food takes place. The mouth is also the site of the organs of taste and of the teeth, tongue, and lips. It is not only the entrance to the body for food and sometimes air, but also a maj...

mouth breathing
breathing through the mouth instead of the nose, usually because of some obstruction in the nasal passages.

mouth cells
squamous cells detached from the epithelium lining the oropharynx, found in the sputum.

mouth mirror
a small mirror attached at an angle to a handle, for use in dentistry.

movement
(mldbomacv´mәnt) an act of changing position. defecation.

movement disorder
any of numerous neurologic disorders characterized by disturbances of muscular movement, distinguished as either hyperkinetic (conditions such as chorea, dystonia, hemiballismus, myoclonus, stereotypy, tic, and tremor) or hypokinetic (conditions such as akinetic mutism, psychomotor retardation, and the stiff-man syndrome).

movement therapy
see dance/movement therapy.