facial
palsy
Inability to move the
muscles of the face, usually on only one side, due to inflammation of a nerve.
failure
to thrive
Describes a baby who grows
and gains weight slower than expected.
fallopian
tube
Either of two long,
slender ducts connecting a woman's uterus
to her ovaries, where eggs are
transported from the ovaries to the uterus and sperm may fertilize an
egg.
familial
A term describing a
disorder or characteristic (such as male pattern baldness) that occurs
within a family more often than would be expected.
fasciitis
Inflammation of the layer
of connective tissue
that covers, separates, and supports muscles.
fatty
acid
Any of a number of
carbon-, oxygen-, and hydrogen-containing molecules that make up
fats .
febrile
A term used to describe
something related to a fever, such as febrile seizures
(seizures occurring in a child who has a fever).
fecal
occult blood test
A test that uses a piece
of chemically sensitive paper to detect blood in a stool sample; used to
screen for possible signs of cancer
in the large intestine or rectum.
femoral
artery
The main artery that supplies blood to the leg.
femur
The bone located between
the hip and the knee; the thighbone.
fertility
The ability to produce a
child.
fertility drug
A drug used to treat infertility that contains hormones or substances associated
with hormones.
fertilization
The joining of an egg and
a sperm, creating the first cell of a new life.
fetal alcohol syndrome
A combination of defects
in a fetus as a result of the mother drinking
alcohol during pregnancy.
fetal
distress
Physical distress
experiencd by a fetus because of lack of oxygen.
fetal
monitoring
The use of an instrument
to record or listen to a fetus' heartbeat during
pregnancy and labor.
fetal
tissue transplant
An experimental procedure
in which cells are taken from an aborted fetus
and placed into the brain of a person with a brain disease such as Parkinson's.
fetus
The term used to refer to
an unborn child from 8 weeks after fertilization
to birth.
fiber
A constituent of plants
that cannot be digested, which helps maintain healthy functioning of the
bowels.
fiberoptics
Thin, flexible instruments
that transmit light and images, allowing structures inside of the body
to be viewed.
fibrillation
Rapid, inefficient
contraction of muscle fibers of the heart caused by disruption of nerve impulses.
fibroadenoma
A noncancerous tumor
commonly found in the breast.
fibrocystic breast disease
The most common cause of
breast lumps.
fibroid
A noncancerous tumor of
the uterus made up of smooth muscle
and connective tissue.
fibroma
A noncancerous tumor of connective tissue.
fibrosis
Abnormal formation of
connective or scar tissue.
fifth
disease
A childhood infection
caused by a virus, which often starts as a rash on
the cheeks and spreads.
fissure
A groove or slit on the
body or in an organ.
fistula
An abnormal passageway
from one organ to another or from an organ to the body surface.
fitness
A measure of a person's
physical strength, flexibility, and endurance.
flatulence
Excessive air or gas in
the intestines, which is expelled through the anus.
floaters
Small spots that float
across the field of vision, caused by debris floating in the gel-like
substance that fills the eye.
flu
See influenza.
fluke
A parasitic flatworm that
can infest humans.
fluoride
A mineral that helps
protect teeth against decay.
fluoroscopy
A method used to view
organ structure and function by passing X-rays through the body and
monitoring the resulting image on a fluorescent screen.
folic
acid
A vitamin essential to the
production of red blood cells; plays an
important role in the growth a developing fetus.
follicle
A tiny pouchlike cavity in
a structure of the body, such as a hair follicle.
follicle stimulating hormone
A hormone
produced by the pituitary gland
in the brain that stimulates the testicles to produce sperm in males and
causes eggs to mature in females.
folliculitis
The inflammation of hair follicles due to a
bacterial infection, causing boils or tiny blisters containing pus.
fontanelles
The two soft spots on a
baby’s scalp that are the result of gaps in the skull where bones have
not yet fused.
food
poisoning
Stomach pain, diarrhea,
and/or vomiting caused by eating contaminated food.
forceps
Instruments resembling
tweezers that are used to handle objects or tissue during surgery.
forceps
delivery
The use of an instrument
that cups the baby's head (called an obstetric forceps), to help deliver
a baby.
foreign
body
An object in an organ or
body cavity that is not normally present.
foreskin
The loose skin that covers
the head of the penis.
fracture
A bone break.
fraternal
twins
Twins that develop from
two different eggs fertilized by two different sperm; are not identical.
free
radical
See oxygen free radical.
frostbite
Damage to body tissue as a
result of freezing.
FSH
See follicle stimulating hormone.
fulminant
Describes a disorder that
begins suddenly and worsens quickly.
fungus
An organism that is
dependent on another organism for nourishment.
