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

Autoclip
(aw´to-klip) trademark for a stainless steel surgical clip inserted by means of a mechanical applier that automatically feeds a series of clips for wound closing.

autocoid
(aw´to-koid) local hormone.

autocrine
(aw´to-krin) denoting a mode of hormone action in which a hormone binds to receptors on and affects the function of the same cell that produced it.

autocytolysin
(aw″to-si-tol´ĭ-sin) autolysin.

autocytolysis
(aw″to-si-tol´ĭ-sis) autolysis.

autodermic graft
autoepidermic graft a skin graft taken from the patient's own body.

autodigestion
(aw″to-di-jes´chәn) autolysis. pancreatic autodigestion premature breakdown of pancreatic zymogens into digestive enzymes that digest pancreatic tissue, causing acute pancreatitis.

autoecholalia
(aw″to-ek″o-la´le-ә) parrotlike repetition of words and phrases initially uttered by the patient himself; seen in catatonic schizophrenia and in certain cerebral degenerative disorders.

autoeczematization
(aw″to-ek-zem″ә-tĭ-za´shәn) the spread, at first locally and later more generally, of lesions from an originally circumscribed focus of eczema.

autoeroticism
(aw″to-ә-rot´ĭ-siz-әm) sexual self-gratification or arousal without the participation of another person, such as masturbation. See also alloeroticism. adj., autoerot´ic., adj.

autogeneic
(aw″to-jen-e´ik) autologous.

autogenesis
(aw″to-jen´ә-sis) self-generation; origination within the organism. adj., autogenet´ic, autog´enous., adj.

autogenous vaccine
a vaccine prepared from microorganisms freshly isolated from the lesion of the patient to be treated with it.

autograft
(aw´to-graft) autologous graft.

autohemolysin
(aw″to-he-mol´ĭ-sin) a hemolysin that causes complement-dependent hemolysis of the patient's own erythrocytes.

autohemolysis
(aw″to-he-mol´ĭ-sis) hemolysis of the blood cells by the subject's own serum. adj., autohemolyt´ic., adj.

autohemolysis test
determination of spontaneous hemolysis in a blood specimen maintained under certain conditions, to detect the presence of certain hemolytic states.

autohemotherapy
(aw″to-he″mo-ther´ә-pe) treatment with an autotransfusion.

autohypnosis
(aw″to-hip-no´sis) self-induced hypnosis; the act or process of hypnotizing oneself.

autoimmune disease
(aw″to-ĭ-mūn´) disease associated with the production of antibodies directed against one's own tissues. The immunological mechanism of the body is dependent on both inactivation and rejection of foreign substances and the ability to differentiate between the body's own material (self) and that which is f...

autoimmune pancreatitis
chronic pancreatitis in which there are circulating autoantibodies and elevated levels of immunoglobulins; it is often accompanied by other autoimmune disorders and is seen primarily in the elderly.

autoimmune polyglandular syndromes
polyglandular autoimmune syndrome.

autoimmune response
the immune response in which antibodies or immune lymphoid cells are produced against the body's own tissues. See also autoimmune disease.

autoimmune thyroiditis
any of various types of thyroiditis characterized by autoantibodies against the thyroid gland, resulting in hypothyroidism. The two major types are Hashimoto disease and atrophic thyroiditis; Riedel thyroiditis is a less common type.

autoimmunity
(aw″to-ĭ-mu´nĭ-te) a condition characterized by a specific humoral or cell-mediated immune response against the constituents of the body's own tissues (autoantigens); it may result in hypersensitivity reactions or, if severe, in autoimmune disease.

autoimmunization
(aw″to-im″u-nĭ-za´shәn) induction in an organism of an immune response to its own tissue constituents.

autoinfusion
(aw″to-in-fu´zhәn) the forcing of blood toward the heart by measures such as bandaging of limbs or compressing of the abdominal aorta.

autoinoculation
(aw″to-in-ok´u-la″shәn) inoculation with microorganisms from one' s own body.

autoisolysin
(aw″to-i-sol´ĭ-sin) autoantibody that causes complement-dependent lysis of cells (such as blood cells) of the same individual in which it is formed as well as cells of other individuals of the same species.

autokeratoplasty
(aw″to-ker´ә-to-plas″te) grafting of corneal tissue from one eye to the other.

autokinesis
(aw″to-kĭ-ne´sis) voluntary motion. adj., autokinet´ic., adj.

autolesion
(aw″to-le´zhәn) a self-inflicted injury.

autologous
(aw-tol´ә-gәs) related to self; belonging to the same organism; called also autogeneic.

autologous graft
autoplastic graft a graft taken from another area of the patient's own body; called also autograft.

autologous transfusion
reinfusion of a patient's own blood, done by either of two methods: (1) patients having a planned surgical procedure may donate their own blood within six weeks before surgery; the donated blood is processed, frozen, stored, and then thawed for use at the time of surgical need; or (2) blood lost during the operative proce...

autolysate
(aw-tol´ĭ-sāt) a substance produced by autolysis.

autolysin
(aw-tol´ĭ-sin) a lysin originating in an organism and capable of destroying its own cells and tissues.

autolysis
(aw-tol´ĭ-sis) the disintegration of cells or tissues by endogenous enzymes. adj., autolyt´ic., adj.

autolysosome
(aw″to-li´so-sōm) an organelle, formed by the fusion of an autophagosome with a lysosome, in which digestion of intracellular elements occurs in autophagy.

automated reagin test
(ART) a modification of the rapid plasma reagin test for syphilis, used with automated analyzers in clinical chemistry.

automatic
(aw″to-mat´ik) spontaneous; done involuntarily; self-regulating.

automatic bladder
neurogenic bladder due to complete transection of the spinal cord above the sacral segments, marked by complete loss of micturition reflexes and bladder sensation, violent involuntary urination, and an abnormal amount of residual urine. Called also reflex bladder.

automatic cells
cells that show automaticity; their activity arises spontaneously and does not have to be evoked.

automatic pacemaker
universal pacemaker.

automatic rhythm
spontaneous rhythms initiated by the sinoatrial node, or by subsidiary atrial or ventricular pacemakers; in practice this refers to a normal sinus rhythm at a rate of 60 to 100 beats per minute.

automaticity
(aw″to-mә-tis´ĭ-te) the ability of a cell to depolarize itself, reach threshold potential, and produce a propagated action potential; cells with this capability are called automatic cells. abnormal automaticity a type of altered automaticity occurring in cells that do not...

automatism
(aw-tom´ә-tiz-әm) aimless and apparently undirected behavior that is not under conscious control and is performed without conscious knowledge; seen in psychomotor epilepsy, catatonic schizophrenia, dissociative fugue, and other conditions. command automatism the performa...

autonomic
(aw″tә-nom´ik) not subject to voluntary control.

autonomic dysreflexia
exaggerated response of the autonomic nervous system to stimulation, seen particularly in persons who have spinal cord injury above the level of the sixth thoracic vertebra. It is potentially dangerous because of accompanying vasoconstriction and elevation of blood pressure, which in turn can cause hemorrhagic retinal damage or...

autonomic ganglia
aggregations of cell bodies of neurons of the autonomic nervous system; the parasympathetic and the sympathetic ganglia combined.

autonomic imbalance
defective coordination between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, especially with respect to vasomotor activities.

autonomic nerve
any of the nerves of the autonomic nervous system.

autonomic nervous system
the parts of the peripheral nervous system that work without conscious control, as opposed to the somatic nervous system. This part of the nervous system governs the glands, cardiac muscle, and smooth muscles such as those of the digestive system, respiratory system, and skin. There are has two subsystems, called the sympatheti...

autonomic reflex
a response of smooth muscle, glands, and conducting tissue of the heart, which alters the functional state of the innervated organ.

autonomotropic
(aw″to-nom-o-tro´pik) having affinity for the autonomic nervous system.

autonomous bladder
neurogenic bladder due to a lesion in the sacral spinal cord that interrupts the reflex arc that controls the bladder. The lesion may be in the cauda equina, conus medullaris, sacral roots, or pelvic nerve. It is marked by loss of normal bladder sensation and contractility, inability to initiate urination normally, and st...

autonomy
(aw-ton´ә-me) the ability to function in an independent fashion. in

autophagia
(aw″to-fa´jә) eating or biting of one's own flesh. nutrition of the body by consumption of its own tissues. adj., autopha´gic., adj.

autophagosome
(aw″to-fag´ә-sōm) an intracytoplasmic vacuole containing elements of a cell's own cytoplasm; it fuses with a lysosome and the contents are subjected to enzymatic digestion.

autophagy
(aw-tof´ә-je) lysosomal digestion of a cell's own cytoplasmic material. autophagia.

autophony
(aw-tof´ә-ne) abnormal hearing of one's own voice and respiratory sounds, usually as a result of a patulous eustachian tube.

autoplasty
(aw´to-plas″te) autotransplantation. in psychoanalytic theory, adaptation by changing one's self rather than the external environment. adj., autoplas´tic., adj.

autopsy
(aw´top-se) examination of a body after death to determine the cause of death; it may be ordered by a coroner or medical examiner when the cause of death is unknown or the death has taken place under suspicious circumstances. Autopsies are also valuable sources of medical knowledge. Unless it is demanded by public...

autoradiograph
(aw″to-ra´de-o-graf) the film produced by autoradiography.

autoradiography
(aw″to-ra″de-og´rә-fe) the making of a radiograph of an object or tissue by recording on a photographic plate the radiation emitted by radioactive material within the object.

autoregulation
(aw″to-reg″u-la´shәn) control of certain phenomena by factors inherent in a situation; specifically, (1) maintenance by an organ or tissue of a constant blood flow despite changes in arterial pressure, and (2) adjustment of blood flow through an organ in accordance with its metabolic needs. ...

autosensitization
(aw″to-sen″sĭ-tĭ-za´shәn) development of sensitivity to one's own serum or tissues.

autoserum
(aw″to-sēr´әm) serum administered to the patient from whom it was derived.

autoserum therapy
treatment of disease by the injection of the patient's own blood serum.

autosite
(aw´to-sīt) in unequal twins, the larger, more normal twin, to which the other (the parasitic fetus) is attached.

autosome
(aw´to-sōm) any of the chromosomes other than the pair concerned with determination of sex; in humans there are 22 pairs of autosomes. adj., autoso´mal, adj. .

autosplenectomy
(aw″to-sple-nek´tә-me) almost complete disappearance of the spleen due to progressive fibrosis and shrinkage.

autosuggestion
(aw″to-sәg-jes´chәn) self-suggestion; the process of inducing in oneself the uncritical acceptance of an idea, belief, or opinion, as by self-hypnosis.

autotomography
(aw″to-to-mog´rә-fe) a method of tomography involving movement of the patient instead of the x-ray tube.

autotopagnosia
(aw″to-top″ag-no´zhә) inability to orient correctly different parts of the body.

autotransfusion
(aw″to-trans-fu´zhәn) reinfusion of a patient's own blood; see autologous transfusion.

autotransplantation
(aw″to-trans″plan-ta´shәn) transfer of tissue from one part of the body to another part. See also autologous graft.

autotroph
(aw´to-trōf) an autotrophic organism.

autotrophic
(aw″to-tro´fik) capable of synthesizing necessary nutrients if water, carbon dioxide, inorganic salts, and a source of energy are available.

autovaccination
(aw″to-vak″sĭ-na´shәn) treatment with autovaccine.

autovaccine
(aw″to-vak-sēn´) a vaccine prepared from cultures of organisms from the patient's own tissues or secretions.

autoxidation
(aw″tok-sĭ-da´shәn) the spontaneous reaction of a compound with molecular oxygen at room temperature.

autumn fever
mud fever (def. 1).

auxesis
(awk-se´sis) increase in size of an organism, especially that due to growth of its individual cells rather than increase in their number. adj., auxet´ic., adj.

auxodrome
(awk´so-drōm) the course of growth of a child as plotted on a specially devised graph called the Wetzel grid.

auxotroph
(awk´so-trōf) an auxotrophic organism.

auxotrophic
(awk″so-tro´fik) requiring a growth factor not required by the parental or prototype strain; said of microbial mutants. requiring specific organic growth factors in addition to the carbon source present in a minimal medium.

av
avoirdupois.

AV
A-V atrioventricular; arteriovenous.

AV block
atrioventricular block.

avascular
(a-vas´ku-lәr) not vascular; bloodless.

avascular graft
a graft of tissue in which not even transient vascularization is achieved.

avascularization
(a-vas″ku-lәr-ĭ-za´shәn) diversion of blood from tissues, as by ligation or bandaging.

AVC
trademark for preparations of sulfanilamide, an antimicrobial.

Avellis paralysis
Avellis syndrome (ah-vel´is) a syndrome in which a brain stem lesion limits innervation by the vagus nerve unilaterally, causing paralysis of the vocal cord and soft palate on one side with loss of pain and temperature sensibility on the other side in the upper and lower limbs, neck, trunk, and skin over the sca...

aversion therapy
aversive therapy a form of behavior therapy that uses aversive conditioning, pairing undesirable behavior or symptoms with unpleasant stimulation in order to reduce or eliminate the behavior of symptoms. The term is sometimes used synonymously with aversive conditioning.

aversive conditioning
learning in which punishment or other unpleasant stimulation is used to associate negative feelings with an undesirable response.

avian tuberculosis
a variety of tuberculosis that mainly affects birds such as chickens and ducks, but is communicable to humans; it is caused by Mycobacterium avium and is characterized by tubercles consisting primarily of epithelioid cells.

aviation medicine
the branch of medicine that deals with the physiologic, medical, psychologic, and epidemiologic problems involved in flying.

aviators' disease
altitude sickness.