Porth's Essentials of Pathophysiology, 4e

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Glossary

Serous  Relating to or resembling serum; or containing or producing serum, such as a serous gland. Shunt  To divert or bypass bodily fluid from one channel, path, or part to another; a passage or anastomosis between two natural channels, especially between blood vessels, established by surgery or occurring as an abnormality. Soma  The body of an organism as distinguished from the mind; all of an organism, excluding germ cells; the body of a cell. Spasticity  The condition characterized by spasms or other uncontrolled contractions of the skeletal muscles. (Adjective: spastic) Spatial  Relating to, having the character of, or occupy- ing space. Sphincter  A ringlike band of muscle fibers that con- stricts a passage or closes a natural orifice of the body. Stenosis  An abnormal condition characterized by the narrowing or stricture of a duct or canal. Stochastic  Involving a random process. Stria  A streak or a linear scarlike lesion that often results from rapidly developing tension in the skin; or a narrow bandlike structure, especially the longi- tudinal collections of nerve fibers in the brain. Stricture  An abnormal temporary or permanent narrowing of the lumen of a duct, canal, or other passage, as the esophagus, because of inflammation, external pressure, or scarring. Stroma  The supporting tissue or the matrix of an organ as distinguished from its functional element, or parenchyma. Stupor  A lowered level of consciousness characterized by lethargy and unresponsiveness in which a person seems unaware of his or her surroundings. Subchondral  Beneath a cartilage. Subcutaneous  Beneath the skin. Subluxation  An incomplete or partial dislocation in which the relationship between joint surfaces is altered, but contact remains. Sulcus  A shallow groove, depression, or furrow on the surface of an organ, such as a sulcus on the surface of the brain, separating the gyri. Supination  Assuming the position of lying horizontally on the back, or with the face upward. (Adjective: supine) Suppuration  The formation of pus, or purulent matter. Symbiosis  Mode of living characterized by close association between organisms of different species, usually in a mutually beneficial relationship. Sympathomimetic  An agent or substance that produces stimulating effects on organs and structures simi- lar to those produced by the sympathetic nervous system. Syncope  A brief lapse of consciousness due to general- ized cerebral ischemia. Syncytium  A multinucleate mass of protoplasm produced by the merging of a group of cells. Syndrome  A complex of signs and symptoms that occur together to present a clinical picture of a disease or inherited abnormality.

Synergist  An organ, agent, or substance that aids or cooperates with another organ, agent, or substance. Synthesis  An integration or combination of various parts or elements to create a unified whole. Systemic  Pertaining to the whole body rather than to a localized area or region of the body. Systole  The contraction, or period of contraction, of the heart that drives the blood onward into the aorta and pulmonary arteries. Tamponade  Stoppage of the flow of blood to an organ or a part of the body by pathologic compression, such as the compression of the heart by an accumu- lation of pericardial fluid. Teratogen  Any agent or factor that induces or increases the incidence of developmental abnormali- ties in the fetus. Thermistor  A device that is used to measure extremely small changes in temperature. Thrombus  A stationary mass of clotted blood or other formed elements that remains attached to its place of origin along the wall of a blood vessel, frequently obstructing the circulation. (Plural: thrombi) Tinnitus  A tinkling, buzzing, or ringing noise heard in one or both ears. Tophus  A chalky deposit containing sodium urate that most often develops in periarticular fibrous tissue, typically in individuals with gout. (Plural: tophi) Torsion  The act or process of twisting in either a positive (clockwise) or negative (counterclockwise) direction. Trabecula  A supporting or anchoring stand of con- nective tissue, such as the delicate fibrous threads connecting the inner surface of the arachnoid to the pia mater. Transmural  Situated or occurring through the wall of an organ. Transudate  A fluid substance passed through a mem- brane or extruded from the blood. Tremor  Involuntary quivering or trembling movements caused by the alternating contraction and relaxation of opposing groups of skeletal muscles. Trigone  A triangular-shaped area. Ubiquitous  The condition or state of existing or being everywhere at the same time. Ulcer  A circumscribed excavation of the surface of an organ or tissue, which results from necrosis that accompanies some inflammatory, infectious, or malignant processes. (Adjective: ulcerative) Urticaria  A pruritic skin eruption of the upper dermis, usually transient, characterized by wheals (hives) of various shapes and sizes. Uveitis  An inflammation of all or part of the uveal tract of the eye. Vector  An invertebrate animal (e.g., tick, mite, mosquito) that serves as a carrier, transferring an infective agent from one vertebrate host to another. Ventral  Pertaining to a position toward the belly of the body; or situated or oriented toward the front or anterior of the body.