General Medical Terms

L-arginine is an amino acid the body uses to build protein and to produce nitric oxide, a molecule that widens blood vessels.

One of twenty amino acids (molecules that join together to form proteins).

A form of the hormone progesterone that is made in the laboratory and used to prevent pregnancy.

A substance that is being studied in the treatment of cancer.

The inner lining of the lips.

Lactate dehydrogenase is an enzyme active in nearly all body tissues, and its blood level rises with cell injury from a wide range of causes.

Lactic acid dehydrogenase is an enzyme found throughout body tissue, and a rising blood level points to cell damage from many causes, not only cancer.

Lactobacillus is a genus of bacteria that produces lactic acid and normally lives harmlessly in the human gut, mouth, and vaginal tract.

Lactose is the natural sugar in milk that requires the enzyme lactase to be broken down and absorbed in the intestine.

Lactose intolerance results from insufficient lactase enzyme, leading to digestive symptoms after consuming milk or other dairy products.

A white blood cell that is stimulated in a laboratory to kill tumor cells.

A type of connective tissue found under the thin layer of tissues covering a mucous membrane.

A type of white blood cell that contains granules with enzymes that can kill tumor cells or microbial cells.

Laryngeal structures and conditions involve the larynx, the part of the throat responsible for voice production and protecting the airway during swallowing.

A laryngectomee is a person who has undergone complete surgical removal of the larynx and now breathes through a neck opening.

Laryngoscopy is a procedure to directly view the larynx, either with a hand held mirror or with a lighted instrument called a laryngoscope.

A feeling of tiredness, weakness, and lack of interest in daily activities.

Side effects of cancer treatment that appear months or years after treatment has ended.

Present but not announcing itself, a state that separates carrying something from being ill with it.

A laxative is a substance used to promote bowel movements or ease the passage of stool, available in several different forms and mechanisms.