Toxoplasmosis Glossary of Terms

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

Acute: Of abrupt onset, in reference to a disease. Acute often also connotes an illness th...

Amniotic fluid: The fluid bathing a fetus within the uterus, which serves as a shock absor...

Antibody: An immunoglobulin, a specialized immune protein, produced because of the introdu...

Assay: An assay is an analysis done to determine:

1. The presence of a substance an...

Asymptomatic: Without symptoms. For example, an asymptomatic infection is an infection wit...

Biopsy: The removal of a sample of tissue for examination under a microscope to check for ...

Blindness: Loss of useful sight. Blindness can be temporary or permanent. Damage to any p...

Bone marrow: The soft blood-forming tissue that fills the cavities of bones and contains f...

Brain: The portion of the central nervous system that is located within the skull. It func...

Cancer: An abnormal growth of cells which tend to proliferate in an uncontrolled way and, ...

Cat scratch disease: A bacterial infection due to a cat scratch seen most often today i...

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

Cell: The basic structural and functional unit of any living thing. Each cell is a small c...

Cervical: Having to do with any kind of neck, including the neck on which the head is perc...

Chagas disease: An infection caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. Also called America...

Chemotherapy: 1. In the original sense, a chemical that binds to and specifically k...

Choroid: In the eye, a thin vascular layer between the sclera and the retina. The choroid ...

Congenital: A condition that is present at birth, whether or not it is inherited.

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

Ear: The hearing organ. There are three sections of the ear, according to the anatomy tex...

ELISA: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, a rapid immunochemical test that involves an enz...

Encephalitis: Inflammation of the brain, which may be caused by a bacterium, a virus, or a...

Enlarged spleen: Splenomegaly, or an enlargement of the spleen. This condition can occur w...

Feces: The excrement discharged from the 'intestines.

Fetus: An unborn offspring, from the embryo stage (the end of the eighth week after concep...

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

Folinic acid: The active form of folic acid in the body. See: Leucovorin.

Giardiasis: Infection with Giardia lamblia.

Heart: The muscle that pumps blood received from veins into arteries throughout the body. ...

Hepatitis: Inflammation of the liver, irrespective of the cause. Hepatitis is caused by a ...

HIV: Acronym for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, the cause of AIDS (acquired immunodefi...

Immune: Protected against infection, usually by the presence of antibodies.

Immune response: Any reaction by the immune system. For example, poison ivy can cause an i...

Immune system: A complex system that is responsible for distinguishing a person from every...

Immunocompromised: Having an immune system that has been impaired by disease or medical tr...

Immunosuppression: Suppression of the immune system and its ability to fight infection. Im...

Indicate: In medicine, to make a treatment or procedure advisable because of a particular ...

Infant: A young baby, from birth to 12 months of age.

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

Inflammation: A localized reaction that produces redness, warmth, swelling, and pain as a ...

Jaundice: Yellow staining of the skin and sclerae (the whites of the eyes) by abnormally h...

Latent: Hidden, dormant, inactive.

Leucovorin: Folinic acid, the active form of folic acid in the body. Used as an antidote t...

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

Lymph: The almost colorless fluid that travels through the lymphatic system, carrying cell...

Lymph node: One of many small, bean-shaped organs located throughout the lymphatic system....

Malaise: A vague feeling of discomfort, one that cannot be pinned down but is often sensed...

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

Marrow: The bone marrow.

Meningoencephalitis: Meningitis + encephalitis, inflammation of the meninges and brain. Ca...

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

Myocarditis: Inflammation of the myocardium, the heart muscle.

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

Neurological: Having to do with the nerves or the nervous system as, for example, a neurol...

Node: Literally a knot, a node is a collection of tissue. For example a lymph node, is a ...

Ocular: Having to do with the eye.

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

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

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

Pregnant: The state of carrying a developing fetus within the body.

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

Retina: The retina is the nerve layer that lines the back of the eye, senses light, and c...

Sepsis: The presence of bacteria (bacteremia), other infectious organisms, or toxins creat...

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

Syndrome: A combination of symptoms and signs that together represent a disease process.

Toxicity: The degree to which a substance (a toxin or poison) can harm humans or animals. ...

Toxoplasma gondii: A single-celled parasite that causes toxoplasmosis (toxo) .

Trimester: In obstetrics, one of the three divisions of three months each during pregnancy...

Viable: Capable of life. For example, a viable premature baby is one who is able to surviv...

Wellcovorin: See: Leucovorin.