Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

59 results found

gigantism

(Encyclopedia)gigantism, condition in which an animal or plant is far greater than normal in size. Plants are often deliberately bred to increase their size. However, among animals, gigantism is usually the result ...

glucose

(Encyclopedia)glucose, dextrose, or grape sugar, monosaccharide sugar with the empirical formula C6H12O6 . This carbohydrate occurs in the sap of most plants and in the juice of grapes and other fruits. Glucose ...

blood test

(Encyclopedia)blood test, examination of blood routinely or as an aid in diagnosing a suspected disease. Tests may be performed on whole blood or on the plasma portion only. Blood typing identifies the proteins at ...

sulfa drug

(Encyclopedia)sulfa drug, any of a class of synthetic chemical substances derived from sulfanilamide, or para-aminobenzenesulfonamide. Sulfa drugs are used to treat bacterial infections, although they have largely ...

cystitis

(Encyclopedia)cystitis sĭstīˈtĭs [key], common acute or chronic inflammation of the urinary bladder. The disease occurs primarily in young women and frequently results from bacterial invasion of the urethra fro...

psychosomatic medicine

(Encyclopedia)psychosomatic medicine sīˌkōsōmătˈĭk [key], study and treatment of those emotional disturbances that are manifested as physical disorders. The term psychosomatic emphasizes essential unity of t...

abortion

(Encyclopedia)abortion, expulsion of the products of conception before the embryo or fetus is viable. Any interruption of human pregnancy prior to the 28th week is known as abortion. The term spontaneous abortion, ...

coronary artery disease

(Encyclopedia)coronary artery disease, condition that results when the coronary arteries are narrowed or occluded, most commonly by atherosclerotic deposits of fibrous and fatty tissue. Coronary artery disease is t...

cortisone

(Encyclopedia)cortisone kôrˈtĭsōnˌ [key], steroid hormone whose main physiological effect is on carbohydrate metabolism. It is synthesized from cholesterol in the outer layer, or cortex, of the adrenal gland u...

cystic fibrosis

(Encyclopedia)cystic fibrosis sĭsˈtĭk fībrōˈsĭs [key], inherited disorder of the exocrine glands (see gland), affecting children and young people; median survival is 25 years in females and 30 years in males...

Browse by Subject