Malaria Glossary of Terms

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Acquired: Not inherited, or present at birth (congenital), but developing after birth. For...

Anemia: The condition of having a lower-than-normal number of red blood cells or quantity ...

Blood transfusion: The transfer of blood or blood components from one person (the donor) i...

Calcium: A mineral found mainly in the hard part of bones, where it is stored. Calcium is ...

CDC: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US agency charged with tracking a...

Cerebral: Of or pertaining to the cerebrum or the brain.

Chills: feelings of coldness accompanied by shivering. Chills may develop after exposure t...

Cholera: An infectious disease characterized by intense vomiting and profuse watery diarrh...

Coma: A state of deep, unarousable unconsciousness. A coma may occur as a result of head t...

Cure: 1. To heal, to make well, to restore to good health. 2. A time withou...

Dehydration: Excessive loss of body water. Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract that ca...

Dengue: Also known as Dengue fever, an acute mosquito-borne viral illness of sudden onset ...

Dengue fever: An acute mosquito-borne viral illness of sudden onset with headache, fever, ...

Diagnosis: 1 The nature of a disease; the identification of an illness. 2 A ...

DNA: Deoxyribonucleic acid. One of two types of molecules that encode genetic information...

Doxycycline: Brand name: Vibramycin. A synthetic broad-spectrum antibiotic derived from te...

Edema: The swelling of soft tissues as a result of excess fluid accumulation. Edema is oft...

Enzyme: A protein (or protein-based molecule) that speeds up a chemical reaction in a livi...

Febrile: Feverish.

Fever: Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degr...

Flu: Short for influenza. The flu is caused by viruses that infect the respiratory tract w...

Food and Drug Administration: An agency within the US Public Health Service that provides ...

Headache: A pain in the head with the pain being above the eyes or the ears, behind the he...

Hemolytic: Referring to hemolysis, the destruction of red blood cells which leads to the r...

Hemolytic anemia: Anemia due to the destruction, rather than underproduction, of red blood...

Immunity: The condition of being immune. Immunity can be innate'for example, humans are in...

Infection: The invasion and multiplication of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, an...

Kidney: One of a pair of organs located in the right and left side of the abdomen. The kid...

Laboratory: A place for doing tests and research procedures, and for preparing chemicals a...

Liver: The largest solid organ in the body, situated in the upper part of the abdomen on t...

Lungs: The lungs are a pair of breathing organs located with the chest which remove carbon...

Malaria: An infectious disease caused by protozoan parasites from the Plasmodium family th...

Maternal: 1. Pertaining to the mother as, for example, the maternal mortality rate....

Microscope: An optical instrument that augments the power of the eye to see small objects....

Microscopy: The examination of minute objects by means of a microscope, an instrument whic...

Miscarriage: Inadvertent loss of a pregnancy before the fetus is viable. A considerable pr...

Muscle: Muscle is the tissue of the body which primarily functions as a source of power. T...

Nausea: Stomach queasiness, the urge to vomit. Nausea can be brought on by many causes, in...

Organ: A relatively independent part of the body that carries out one or more special func...

Organ failure: The failure of an essential system in the body. Multiple organ failure is t...

Parasite: A plant or an animal organism that lives in or on another and takes its nourishm...

Pediatric: Pertaining to children.

Pharmacy: A location where prescription medications are sold. A pharmacy is constantly sup...

Phosphate: A form of phosphoric acid. Calcium phosphate makes bones and teeth hard.

Placenta: A temporary organ that joins the mother and fetus, transferring oxygen and nutri...

Plasmodium: The genus of the class of Sporazoa that includes the parasite that causes mala...

Pregnancy: The state of carrying a developing embryo or fetus within the female body. Thi...

Prognosis: The forecast of the probable outcome or course of a disease; the patient's chan...

Prophylaxis: The prevention of disease.

Proteins: Large molecules composed of one or more chains of amino acids in a specific orde...

Pulmonary: Having to do with the lungs.

Pulmonary edema: Fluid in the lungs.

Quinine: The original antimalarial agent, quinine took its name from the Peruvian Indian w...

Recurrent: Appearing or occurring again. For example, a recurrent fever is a fever that ha...

Red blood cells: The blood cells that carry oxygen. Red cells contain hemoglobin and it is...

Red cells: Short for red blood cells, the oxygen/carbon dioxide carrying cells in blood. A...

Relapse: The return of signs and symptoms of a disease after a remission.

Rupture: A break or tear in any organ (such as the spleen) or soft tissue (such as the ach...

Spleen: An organ that is located in the upper-left part of the abdomen, not far from the s...

Sweating: The act of secreting fluid from the skin by the sweat (sudoriferous) glands. The...

Temple: The area just behind and to the side of the forehead and the eye, above the side o...

Therapy: The treatment of disease. Therapy is synonymous with treatment.

Transfusion: The transfer of blood or blood products from one person (the donor) into the ...

Transplant: The grafting of a tissue from one place to another, just as in botany a bu...

Tuberculosis: A highly contagious infection caused by the bacterium called Mycobacterium ...

Typhoid: See: Typhoid fever.

Vibramycin: Brand name for doxycycline.

Yellow fever: An acute systemic (bodywide) illness caused by a virus called a Flavivirus. ...