Medical terms A–Z

The use of dyes and radioactive substances to identify the first lymph node to which cancer is likely to spread from the primary tumor.

A substance that is being studied as a treatment for cancer.

The presence of bacteria or their toxins in the blood or tissues.

An organ or structure that is divided into compartments.

An older word for bloodstream infection, largely retired because the danger comes from the body's reaction rather than the bacteria alone.

One treatment after the other.

A drug used to treat tuberculosis.

Serosa is the smooth outer covering of many internal organs, formed by the same tissue that lines the chest and abdominal cavities.

The brain and gut supplies are separate, because the molecule cannot cross from blood into brain tissue, and each pool works on its own.

Serous describes thin, watery fluid or the membranes that produce it, distinguishing it from thicker mucous secretions elsewhere in the body.

A serous membrane lines internal body cavities and covers the organs within them, secreting fluid that reduces friction during movement.

A rare type of ovarian tumor in which the tumor cells secrete a male sex hormone.

The block on reuptake happens within hours, yet the change in mood takes weeks, and that gap is still not fully explained.

Serum is the clear fluid left after blood clots, containing proteins, hormones, and other dissolved substances but no cells or clotting factors.

The most abundant protein in blood, and a number that tracks how ill someone is far more reliably than how well they eat.

An enzyme found in the liver and other tissues.

An enzyme found in the liver, heart, and other tissues.

A blood test that measures the amount of substances called tumor markers (or biomarkers).

A drug used to treat depression.

A substance found in some plants.