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

senile plaques
microscopic lesions composed of fragmented axon terminals and dendrites surrounding a core of amyloid seen in the cerebral cortex in Alzheimer disease.

senile psychosis
depressive or paranoid delusions or hallucinations or similar mental disorders due to degeneration of the brain in old age, as in senile dementia.

senile reflex
a gray reflection from the pupil of aged people due to hardening of the lens.

senile tremor
one due to the infirmities of old age.

senile vaginitis
adhesive vaginitis.

senilism
(se´nil-iz-әm) premature old age.

senility
(sә-nil´ĭ-te) an obsolete and imprecise term used to denote a pronounced loss of mental or physical control in the aged. Certain types of psychosis are associated with aging, such as senile dementia and dementia of the alzheimer type.

Senior-Loken syndrome
(se´nyәr lo´kәn) a rare autosomal recessive syndrome of tapetoretinal degeneration and familial juvenile nephronophthisis; it is considered by some authorities to be a part of the juvenile nephronophthisis–medullary cystic disease complex. Called also renal-retinal syndrome or dysplasia.

senna
(sen´ә) the dried leaflets of Cassia acutiflora; used in a syrup, fluidextract, or compound powder as a cathartic.

sennetsu fever
[Jap. sennetsu infectious mononucleosis, which it resembles] a febrile disease occurring in Japan and Malaysia and caused by Neorickettsia sennetsu; symptoms include headache, nausea or vomiting, lymphocytosis, and postauricular and posterior lymphadenopathy.

Senning operation
surgical creation of two interatrial channels for crossing the systemic and pulmonary venous circulations in transposition of the great vessels.

sennoside
(sen´o-sīd) either of two anthraquinone glucosides, sennoside A and B, found in senna as the calcium salts; a mixture of the two is used as a cathartic.

sensation
(sen-sa´shәn) an impression produced by impulses conveyed by an afferent nerve to the sensorium. girdle sensation zonesthesia. primary sensation that resulting immediately and directly from application of a stimulus. referred sensation&...

sense
(sens) a faculty by which the conditions or properties of things are perceived. Five major senses were traditionally considered: vision, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. Numerous other senses have now been identified, such as equilibrium, hunger, thirst, malaise, and pain. All senses involve the reception of stimuli by...

sense epithelium
sensory epithelium neuroepithelium (def. 1).

sense of equilibrium
the sense of maintenance of or divergence from an upright position, controlled by receptors in the vestibule of the ear.

sense organs
sensory organs organs that receive stimuli that give rise to sensations; they translate certain forms of energy into nerve impulses that are perceived as special sensations.

sensibility
(sen″sĭ-bil´ĭ-te) susceptibility of feeling; ability to feel or perceive.

sensible
(sen´sĭ-bәl) perceptible to the senses; capable of sensation.

sensing threshold
in cardiac pacing terminology, the voltage of the minimum signal that consistently activates pulse generator function.

sensitive
(sen´sĭ-tiv) able to receive or respond to stimuli. sometimes used to mean having too quick, too acute, or some other abnormal response to stimulation.

sensitivity
(sen″sĭ-tiv´ĭ-te) the state or quality of being sensitive. analytical sensitivity, the smallest concentration of a substance that can be reliably measured by a particular analytical method. diagnostic sensitivity; the conditional probability that a person having a disease will...

sensitivity group
sensitivity training group a nonclinical group intended for persons without severe emotional problems, focusing on self-awareness, self-understanding, and interpersonal interactions and aiming to develop skills in leadership, management, counseling, or other roles. Called also T-group and training group.

sensitization
(sen″sĭ-tĭ-za´shәn) immunization. exposure to allergen that results in the development of hypersensitivity. the coating of erythrocytes with antibody so that they are subject to lysis by complement in the presence of homologous antigen, the first stage of a complement fi...

sensitized
(sen´sĭ-tīzd) rendered sensitive.

sensitized cell
a cell that has been immunologically activated (primed) by an antigen. an antibody-coated cell used in complement fixation tests.

sensitizing antibody
anaphylactic antibody.

sensitometer
(sen″sĭ-tom´ĕ-ter) a device used to produce a stepwedge of photographic density; used in quality assurance testing.

sensomotor
(sen″so-mo´tәr) sensorimotor.

sensorial
(sen-sor´e-әl) pertaining to the sensorium.

sensorimotor
(sen″sә-re-mo´tәr) both sensory and motor.

sensorimotor area
the cortex of the precentral and postcentral gyri, which are the motor area and the primary receiving area for general sensations, respectively.

sensorineural
(sen″sә-re-noor´әl) of or pertaining to a sensory nerve or sensory mechanism.

sensorineural hearing loss
that caused by some pathological change in structures within the inner ear (sensory hearing loss) or in the vestibulocochlear nerve or acoustic pathways in the brain (neural hearing loss), with dysfunction in perception or interpretation of sound waves. Common causes include hereditary disease, aging (presbycusis), noise damage, vira...

sensorium
(sәn-sor´e-әm) a primary receiving area. the state of an individual as regards consciousness or mental awareness.

sensory
(sen´sә-re) pertaining to sensation or to the response of the senses (hearing, sight, touch, etc.) to incoming stimuli.

sensory aphasia
receptive aphasia.

sensory apraxia
loss of ability to make proper use of an object due to lack of perception of its purpose.

sensory areas
primary receiving areas.

sensory association area
an association area around the borders of a primary receiving area, where sensory stimuli are interpreted.

sensory ataxia
ataxia due to loss of proprioception (joint position sense), resulting in poorly judged movements and becoming aggravated when the eyes are closed.

sensory cell
primary sensory neuron.

sensory fibers
afferent fibers.

sensory ganglion
spinal ganglion. (in the pl.) the ganglia on the roots of the cranial nerves, containing the cell bodies of sensory neurons. both of these considered together.

sensory hairs
hairlike projections on the surface of sensory epithelial cells.

sensory hearing loss
sensorineural hearing loss caused primarily by damage to the sensory mechanisms in the inner ear.

sensory nerve
a peripheral nerve that conducts impulses from a sense organ to the spinal cord or brain.

sensory neuron
an afferent neuron that conveys sensory impulses towards the central nervous system; see also primary sensory neuron and secondary sensory neuron.

sensory nucleus
the terminal nucleus of the afferent (sensory) fibers of a peripheral nerve.

sensory paralysis
loss of sensation resulting from a morbid process.

sensory receptor
receptor (def. 2).

sensory root of spinal nerve
posterior root of spinal nerve.

sensory seizure
reflex seizure.

sensory storage system
the shortest type of memory, maintaining for less than a second briefly perceived stimuli.

sentence completion test
a projective test for assessing personality and possible psychopathology, in which the individual is asked to provide endings for unfinished sentences.

Senter syndrome
(sen´tәr) keratitis-ichthyosis-deafness syndrome.

sentient
(sen´she-әnt) able to feel; sensitive.

sentinel gland
an enlarged lymph node, considered to be pathognomonic of some pathologic condition elsewhere.

sentinel node
the first lymph node to receive drainage from a tumor, identified by means of dyes or radioactive tracers; used to determine whether there is lymphatic metastasis in certain types of cancer. If this node is negative for malignancy, others “upstream” from it are usually also negative. signal node.

sentinel node biopsy
biopsy of a sentinel node (the first lymph node to receive lymphatic drainage from a malignant tumor). It is identified as follows: a dye and a radioactive substance are injected into the body, which causes certain nodes to “light up” like a sentinel, indicating that they are the most appropriate ones for exam...

Seoul virus
a virus of the genus Hantavirus that causes epidemics of mild to moderately severe hemorrhagic fever; rats are the natural hosts.

separation anxiety
apprehension due to removal of significant persons or familiar surroundings, common in infants 12 to 24 months old; see also separation anxiety disorder.

separation anxiety disorder
undue and prolonged distress and apprehension in a child concerning removal from parents, home, or familiar surroundings. Separation anxiety is common in children, especially infants, but in separation anxiety disorder the reaction is greater than what is expected for the child's developmental level.

separation-individuation
the process usually seen in infants by which the child identifies itself as different from the primary caretaker while maintaining an emotional attachment.

Sepik virus
a mosquito-borne virus, tentatively assigned to the genus Flavivirus, that causes febrile disease in New Guinea.

sepsis
(sep´sis) the presence in the blood or other tissues of pathogenic microorganisms or their toxins. septicemia. puerperal sepsis puerperal fever.

septa
(sep´tә) plural of septum.

septal
(sep´tәl) pertaining to a septum.

septal cells
type II alveolar cells.

septal defect
a congenital heart defect in which the cardiac septum has an abnormal communication between two chambers of the heart; common types are aortic, atrial, and ventricular septal defects.

septate
(sep´tāt) divided by a septum.

septate uterus
a uterus whose cavity is divided into two parts by a septum.

septation
(sep-ta´shәn) division into parts by a septum or septa.

septectomy
(sep-tek´tә-me) surgical removal of part of the nasal septum.

septic
(sep´tik) pertaining to sepsis.

septic abortion
abortion associated with serious infection of the products of conception and endometrial lining of the uterus, leading to generalized infection; it is usually caused by pathogenic organisms of the bowel or vagina.

septic arthritis
suppurative arthritis infectious arthritis, usually acute, characterized by inflammation of synovial membranes with purulent effusion into a joint or joints, most often due to Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, S. pneumoniae, or Neisseria gonorrhoeae, usually caused by hematogenous spread from a primary site of infection a...

septic bursitis
that caused by infection, usually the result of bacterial inoculation due to trauma.

septic disease
one which arises from the development of pyogenic or putrefactive organisms.

septic fever
fever due to septicemia.

septic peritonitis
peritonitis caused by a pus-producing microorganism.

septic phlebitis
phlebitis related to a septic process, as in erysipelas, peritonitis, or endometritis. In it the thrombus breaks down and septic emboli are carried to distant parts of the body. Called also suppurative phlebitis.

septic shock
shock associated with overwhelming infection, usually by gram-negative bacteria, although sometimes by other bacteria, viruses, fungi, or protozoa. It is thought to result from the action of endotoxins or other products of the infectious agent on the vascular system causing large volumes of blood to be sequestered in the ...

septicemia
(sep″tĭ-se´me-ә) the presence of infective agents or their toxins in the bloodstream, popularly known as blood poisoning. It is characterized by elevated body temperature, chills, and weakness. Small abscesses may form on the surface of the body and red and blue streaks become apparent along the pathway of su...

septicemic tularemia
typhoidal tularemia.

septicopyemia
(sep″tĭ-ko-pi-e´me-ә) septicemia with pyemia.

septo-optic dysplasia
a syndrome of hypoplasia of the optic disk with other ocular abnormalities, absence of the septum pellucidum, and hypopituitarism leading to growth deficiency. Called also de Morsier syndrome.

septomarginal
(sep″to-mahr´jĭ-nәl) pertaining to the margin of a septum.

septonasal
(sep″to-na´zәl) pertaining to the nasal septum.

septoplasty
(sep´to-plas″te) surgical reconstruction of the nasal septum.

septotomy
(sep-tot´ә-me) incision of the nasal septum.

Septra
(sep´trә) trademark for combination preparations of trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole, an antimicrobial.

septulum
(sep´tu-lәm) Latin word meaning a small separating wall or partition; a term used in anatomy.

septum
(sep´tәm) pl. sep´ta Latin word meaning a partition. In anatomy, it is used for a wall or partition dividing a body space or cavity. Some are membranous, some are osseous, and some are cartilaginous; each is named according to its location. adj., sep´tal., adj. nasal septum.

septum interatriale cordis
(sep´tәm in″tәr-a″tre-a´le kor´dis) interatrial septum.

septum interventriculare cordis
(sep´tәm in″tәr-ven″trik-u lar´e kor´dis) interventricular septum.

septum lucidum
(sep´tәm loo´sĭ-dәm) septum pellucidum.

septum of ventricles of heart
interventricular septum.

septum pellucidum
(sep´tәm pә-loo´sĭ-dәm) the triangular double membrane separating the anterior horns of the lateral ventricles of the brain; called also septum lucidum.

septum primum
(sep´tәm pri´mәm) a septum in the embryonic heart, dividing the primordial atrium into right and left chambers. See also septal defect.