A Glossary of Selected Medical Terms (a work in progress)

Like any other profession, the medical industry uses specific industry language that can sometimes be tricky to comprehend. Doctors and researchers use many technical terms and Latin nomenclature in order to describe specific diseases, bacteria, human anatomy, pharmaceutical drugs and so forth. I thought about explaining such terms at the end of each blog post, but after much consideration, I decided that it would be more beneficial for a Glossary to be added for better ease of reference. Everyone has to deal with some sort of medical issue at some point in their lives and so it is crucial that we all have access to information that may help us find our way to better health and recovery. As stated throughout this Weblog, I am not a medical or health professional, and the data provided is for informational purposes only and are not intended to replace medical information provided by licensed healthcare professionals. It is important, therefore, that you consult your own doctor for your own individual care.

Using the Glossary

(a) Each term defined in this Glossary is shown alphabetically in bold font.

(b) Terms may be single words or longer phrases and may include domain-specific jargon or abbreviations.

(c) Within the text of definitions, supplementary terms defined elsewhere in the Glossary are shown in italics for ease of cross-referencing.

(d) Within the text of each new blog post, the terms available for access in this Glossary will be shown in bold font.

(e) Glossary entries are provided primarily in US English although UK English is also included where appropriate.

Scope of Glossary

Please note that this Glossary does not provide an all-inclusive list, as the terminology specific to the discipline of medicine appears to be never-ending. Further, this Glossary is a work in progress and further entries may be added with new blog posts. The goal of this Glossary is to provide a quick and easy reference to the meanings of common terms used in the field of medicine. For additional information about the terms defined, it is suggested that you refer to external sources such as those listed in the Bibliography below.

Documents and publications of relevant sources used for the formation of this Glossary are included in the Bibliography. This Glossary is a work in progress and any errors found are my own (I am not a medical professional and I do not have an editor to check my work).

I hope you will find this Glossary useful! 

Bibliography

Parts of this Glossary were brought together with the help of several resources. Valued references include:

Bottom Line. 2006. The World’s Greatest Treasury of Health Secrets. Bottom Line Publications.

Pituitary Network Association. 2007 (4th ed.). It Is All In Your Head! The Pituitary Patient Resource Guide.