Medical terms beginning with M

A form of fungus.

A benign (not cancer) growth on the skin that is formed by a cluster of melanocytes (cells that make a substance called melanin, which gives color to skin and eyes).

The process of identifying a disease by studying molecules, such as proteins, DNA, and RNA, in a tissue or fluid.

A biological molecule found in blood, other body fluids, or tissues that is a sign of a normal or abnormal process, or of a condition or disease.

The sum of the atomic masses of all atoms in a molecule, based on a scale in which the atomic masses of hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen are 1, 12, 14, and 16, respectively.

A branch of medicine that develops ways to diagnose and treat disease by understanding the way genes, proteins, and other cellular molecules work.

A series of actions among molecules in a cell that leads to a certain end point or cell function.

In cancer treatment, substances that kill cancer cells by targeting key molecules involved in cancer cell growth.

The smallest particle of a substance that has all of the physical and chemical properties of that substance.

A drug that is used in a cream to treat certain skin conditions and in a nasal spray to treat sinus problems caused by allergies.

In medicine, to regularly watch and check a person or condition to see if there is any change.

A type of protein made in the laboratory that can bind to substances in the body, including tumor cells.

A substance being studied in the treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes and some types of leukemia.

A condition in which a higher-than-normal number of identical B cells are found in the blood.

A benign condition in which there is a higher-than-normal level of a protein called M protein in the blood.

An antibody found in unusually large amounts in the blood or urine of people with multiple myeloma and other types of plasma cell tumors.

A type of immune cell that is made in the bone marrow and travels through the blood to tissues in the body where it becomes a macrophage.

A molecule that can join with other identical monomers to form a larger structure called a polymer.

A mixture of oil and water that is combined with a specific antigen to boost the immune response to that antigen.

The active ingredient in a drug used to treat symptoms of asthma, such as trouble breathing, tight chest, wheezing, coughing, and runny nose.