Medical Dictionary Definitions A-Z List
Medical Dictionary Definitions A - Z - «G»:
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Genomics, structural
Genomics, structural: The study of the proteome, the three-dimensional structures of all of the proteins produced by a species.
In the Human Genome Project, the sequence of all the DNA in our genome was largely deciphered. Structural genomics aims to achieve a comparable degree of understanding of t...
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Genoplasty
Genoplasty: A technology that uses the repair mechanisms normally present in cells to repair gene defects.
In genoplasty, a short oligonucleotide fragment is introduced into the cell to simulate a normal DNA sequence and this deceives the cell into repairing itself. The sequence of the gene itself ...
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Genotoxin
Genotoxin: A poisonous substance which damages DNA. A genotoxin can cause mutations in DNA (and so be a mutagen), it can trigger cancer (and so be a carcinogen), or it can cause a birth defect (and so be a teratogen).
From geno- (genetic) + toxin (poison) = a genetic poison.
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Genotype
Genotype: The genetic constitution (the genome) of a cell, an individual or an organism. The genotype is distinct from its expressed features, or phenotype.
The genotype of a person is her or his genetic makeup. It can pertain to all genes or to a specific gene.
By contrast, the phenotype results f...
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Genu
Genu: The Latin word for the knee. When the knee is referred to in medicine, it is just called the knee. However, the word "genu" is also used in medicine as in: genu recurvatum (hyperextension of the knee), genu valgum (knock knee) and genu varum (bowleg).
The knee (or genu, if you are into Latin...
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Geography, medical
Geography, medical: See: Medical geography....
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George W. Thorn
George W. Thorn: See: Thorn, George W.....
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Gephyrophobia
Gephyrophobia: An abnormal and persistent fear of crossing bridges. Sufferers of this phobia experience undue anxiety even though they realize their fear is irrational. Their fear may result partly from the fear of enclosure (claustrophobia) or the fear of heights (acrophobia). Phobic drivers may w...
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Gerascophobia
Gerascophobia: An abnormal and persistent fear of growing
old. Sufferers of this fear experience undue anxiety about aging even
though they may be in good health--physically, economically and
otherwise. They may worry about the loss of their looks, the loss of
independence, inactivity after reti...
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GERD
GERD: Stands for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, a
disorder in which there is recurrent return of stomach contents back
up into the esophagus, frequently causing heartburn, a symptom of irritation of the esophagus by stomach acid. This can lead to scarring and stricture of the esophagus, which can...
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GERD surgery (fundoplication)
GERD surgery (fundoplication): A surgical technique that strengthens the barrier to acid reflux when the lower esophageal sphincter does not work normally and there is gastro-esophageal reflux.
Fundoplication has been the standard surgical method for treating gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD)....
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Geriatric medicine
Geriatric medicine: The branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease in older people and the problems specific to aging. Also called geriatrics.
From the Greek "geron" meaning "old man" + "iatreia" meaning "the treatment of disease."....
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Geriatrics
Geriatrics: The branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease in older people and the problems specific to aging.
From the Greek "geron" meaning "old man" + "iatreia" meaning "the treatment of disease."....
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Germ
Germ: 1. A cell or group of cells (called a primordium) capable of developing into an organ, a part or an organism in its entirety. Eggs and sperm are germ cells.
2. A pathogenic a microorganism. A microbe capable of causing disease. The germ theory of disease held, correctly, that these minute bo...
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Germ cell
Germ cell: The eggs and sperm are the germ cells: the reproductive cells. Each mature germ cell is haploid in that it has a single set of 23 chromosomes containing half the usual amount of DNA and half the usual number of genes.
Except for the eggs and sperm, each cell in the human body -- there are...
