Glossary You can always search for entries (regexp permitted). Begins with Contains Exactly matches All All There are 408 entries in the glossary. Pages: «1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 » Term Definition Scoliosis A side-to-side curvature of the spine   Selective dorsal rhizotomy A surgical procedure in which selected nerves are severed to reduce spasticity in the legs.   Selective vulnerability A term that describes why some neurons are more vulnerable than others to particular diseases or conditions.  For example, motor neurons are selectively vulnerable to the loss or reduction in levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which results in the weakness and paralysis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, commonly called Lou Gehrig’s disease).   Senile Chorea A relatively mild and rare disorder found in elderly adults and characterized by choreic movements. It is believed by some scientists to be caused by a different gene mutation than that causing HD.   Shigellosis An infection of the intestinal tract by a group of bacteria called Shigella. The bacteria is named in honor of Shiga, a Japanese researcher, who discovered the organism in 1897. The major symptoms are diarrhea, abdominal cramps, fever, and severe fluidloss (dehydration)   Shingles An acute viral inflammation of the sensory ganglia of spinal and cranial nerves associated with a vesicular eruption and neuralgic pain and caused by reactivation of the herpesvirus causing chicken pox -- called also herpes zoster, zona, zoster   SIDS Abv - Sudden infant death syndrome - is the unexplained death without warning of an apparently healthy infant, usually during sleep.   Sign language A method of communication for people who are deaf or hard of hearing in which hand movements, gestures, and facial expressions convey grammatical structure and meaning.   Smallpox An infection caused by the variola virus, a member of the poxvirus family   Spastic Describes stiff muscles and awkward movements.   Spina Bifida A birth defect in which the neural tube fails to close during fetal development and a portion of the spinal cord and nerves fails to develop properly.   Spinal cord The spinal cord is a column of nervous tissue located in the spinal column. It sends messages between the brain and the rest of the body.   Spinal tap A procedure in which a thin needle called a spinal needle is put into the lower part of the spinal column to collect cerebrospinal fluid or to give drugs. Also called lumbar puncture.   Spine The spine supports the skeleton, and surrounds and protects the delicate spinal cord and nerves. It is made up of 33 bones called the vertebrae.   Spleen An organ that is part of the lymphatic system. The spleen makes lymphocytes, filters the blood, stores blood cells, and destroys old blood cells. It is located on the left side of the abdomen near the stomach.   Sporotrichosis A chronic infection caused by the microscopic fungus Sporothrix schenckii. The disease causes ulcers on the skin that are painless but do not heal, as well as nodules or knots in the lymph channels near the surface of the body. Infrequently, sporotrichosis affects the lungs, joints, or central nervous system and can cause serious illness.   Sputum Sputum is a secretion that is produced in the lungs and the bronchi (tubes that carry the air to the lung) such as mucus or phlegm. It is usually associated with air passages in diseased lungs, bronchi, or upper respiratory tract.   Stem cell transplantation A method of replacing immature blood-forming cells that were destroyed by cancer treatment. The stem cells are given to the person after treatment to help the bone marrow recover and continue producing healthy blood cells.   Stem cells Stem cells are cells that are at an early stage of development, so they still have the ability to turn into any type of cell in the body.   Stereognosia Difficulty perceiving and identifying objects using the sense of touch.   All Glossary V2.0

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