General Arts and Science - Health Science Programs: Health Science Topics

System of vessels in an animal's body that transports essential substances (blood or other circulatory fluid) to and from the different parts of the body.

In the body, all the organs and tissues involved in the digestion of food.

Body control system composed of a group of glands that maintain a stable internal environment by producing chemical regulatory substances called hormones.

The adaptable system of body defenses centers on specialized white blood cells called lymphocytes. These respond to invasion by varied microorganisms.

Network of vessels carrying lymph, or tissue-cleansing fluid, from the tissues into the veins of the circulatory system. The lymphatic system functions along with the circulatory system in absorbing nutrients from the small intestines.

From The human body book: An illustrated guide to its structure, function and disorders
Muscle tissue creates bodily movements and it also powers internal processes, from the heartbeat and the movement of food through the intestines to the adjustment of artery diameter and focusing the eye.

Network of specialized tissue that controls actions and reactions of the body and its adjustment to the environment.

In animals, the anatomical organs concerned with production of offspring.

From Britannica Concise EncyclopediaOrgan system involved in respiration. In humans, the diaphragm and, to a lesser extent, the muscles between the ribs generate a pumping action, moving air in and out of the lungs through a system of pipes (conducting airways), divided into upper and lower airway systems.

Group of organs of the body concerned with excretion of urine, that is, water and the waste products of metabolism.

Soft tissue filling the spongy interiors of animal bones. Red marrow is the principal organ that forms blood cells in mammals, including humans. As the skeleton matures, fat-storing yellow marrow displaces red marrow in the shafts of the long bones of the limbs.

The supervisory center of the nervous system in all vertebrates.

Muscular organ that rhythmically contracts to force blood around the body of an animal with a circulatory system.

Muscular hoselike portion of the gastrointestinal tract extending from the lower end of the stomach (pylorus) to the anal opening.

Either of a pair of organs at the back of the abdomen whose function is the removal of waste pro-ducts from the blood, and the excretion of such compounds from the body, usually in the form of urine.

Largest glandular organ of the body, weighing about 3 lb (1.36 kg).

In mammals, large cavity of the body, used for gas exchange.

Glandular organ that secretes digestive enzymes and hormones.

Saclike dilation in the gastrointestinal tract between the esophagus and the intestines , forming an organ of digestion.

From Black's Medical Dictionary
An organ deeply placed in the abdomen and a major constituent of the RETICULO-ENDOTHELIAL SYSTEM.

Organ of hearing and equilibrium. The human ear consists of outer, middle, and inner parts.

Organ of vision and light perception. In humans the eye is of the camera type, with an iris diaphragm and variable focusing, or accommodation.

From the The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide

The organs of smell are confined to a small area in the roof of the nasal cavity. The olfactory cells are stimulated when certain molecules reach them.

The flexible tissue (integument) enclosing the body of vertebrate animals. In humans and other mammals, the skin operates a complex organ of numerous structures (sometimes called the integumentary system) serving vital protective and metabolic functions.

From Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary

A freely movable muscular organ that lies partly in the floor of the mouth and partly in the pharynx. It is the organ of taste and contributes also to chewing, swallowing, and speech.

A planned or prescribed selection of food and drink, especially one designed for weight loss, maintenance of good health or the control of a medical disorder.

Exercise is commonly associated with aerobic activity or sustained activity over a period of time that utilizes and strengthens the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems.

Nutrition is the process by which living organisms use food for growth and energy. Knowledge of human nutrition and its effects was rather limited prior to the twentieth century.

The terms wellness or health and wellness or wellness and prevention represent the absence of sickness and the prevention of many illnesses that result from unhealthy lifestyle choices.

Condition resulting from a defective diet where certain important food nutrients (such as proteins, vitamins, or carbohydrates) are absent. It can lead to deficiency diseases. A related problem is undernourishment.

Sum of all biochemical processes involved in life. Two subcategories of metabolism are anabolism, the building up of complex organic molecules from simpler precursors, and catabolism, the breakdown of complex substances into simpler molecules, often accompanied by the release of energy.

Condition resulting from excessive storage of fat in the body.

Vegetarianism, in its broadest definition, is a dietary pattern where meat, fish, and poultry are excluded.

Disease characterized by impaired control over the consumption of alcoholic beverages.

Lack of desire to eat, or refusal to eat, especially the pathological condition of anorexia nervosa, most often found in adolescent girls and young women.

Autism, a condition of neurodevelopment, is more common in males, with onset typically in infancy. It is diagnosed when a child or adult has abnormalities in a ‘triad’ of behavioral domains: social development, communication, and repetitive behavior / obsessive interests.

Any of several psychological disorders of mood characterized usually by alternating episodes of depression and mania — called also manic depression, manic-depressive illness.

Disorder best defined as a collection of psychological symptoms including sadness; unhappy thoughts characterized by worry, poor self-image, self-blame, guilt and low self-confidence; downbeat views on the future; and a feeling of hopelessness.

Dissociative identity disorder (DID) has been one of the most controversial diagnostic categories in the history of psychiatry.

Obsessive compulsive disorder is defined in the DSM-IV as the presence of either obsessions or compulsions (or both). Obsessions are defined as recurrent and persistent thoughts, impulses or images that are experienced as intrusive and inappropriate and that cause marked anxiety or distress.

(PTSD), mental disorder that follows an occurrence of extreme psychological stress, such as that encountered in war or resulting from violence, childhood abuse, sexual abuse, or serious accident.

Group of severe mental disorders characterized by reality distortions resulting in unusual thought patterns and behaviors.

AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is a chronic, life-threatening disease that is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Common manifestation of dementia , thought to afflict 1 in 20 people over 65.

Condition in which the concentration of hemoglobin in the circulating blood is below normal.

General term for a condition characterized by thickening, hardening, and loss of elasticity of the walls of the blood vessels.

Chronic condition characterized by difficulty in breathing due to spasm of the bronchi (air passages) in the lungs.

Group of diseases characterized by abnormal proliferation of cells.

Degeneration of tissue in an organ resulting in fibrosis, with nodule and scar formation.

Diabetes mellitus, often referred to simply as diabetes, is not a single disease but a group of metabolic disorders characterized by hyperglycemia (elevated blood glucose) resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. It is a major public health problem in the United States, affecting 24.1 million individuals, of whom an

Any of several abnormalities of the heart and its function in maintaining blood circulation.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system characterized by recurring episodes of neurological disturbance.

A condition in which the energy stores of the body (mainly fat) are too great. It is commonplace in prosperous countries and is increasing in developing countries, particularly amongst children and young people.

A disease, most commonly of post-menopausal women, in which the bones become porous, brittle and liable to fracture, owing to the loss of calcium from the bone substance.

A form of arthritis, particularly common in women, that causes pain, swelling, stiffness and deformity of the joints, especially of the fingers, wrists, ankles, feet or hips.

State of dependence caused by frequent and regular use of drugs, alcohol, or other substances.

Approaches to the treatment of illness using procedures other than those recommended by orthodox medical science; also known as complementary medicine.

Branch of biology concerned with the study of body structure of various organisms, including humans.

The treatment and prevention of diseases of the mouth and teeth; with medicine and nursing, one of the major health professions.

The application of genetic engineering techniques to alter or replace a defective gene or genes. The procedures are still at the experimental stage, but it is hoped that they could lead to the prevention of hereditary diseases such as haemophilia.

The science and art of treating and preventing disease.

Well-being and soundness of mind, not only in terms of intellectual abilities, but also in terms of the capability to deal with everyday problems, and the capacity to get on well with other people and to form and sustain relationships.

Nurses are the largest single group of staff working in the health service.

Study of the materials that nourish an organism and of the manner in which the separate components are used for maintenance, repair, growth, and reproduction.

A branch of medical science which studies the actions, uses, and undesirable side-effects of drugs.

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
The art of compounding and dispensing drugs and medication.

From Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health
Clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) are licensed registered nurses with additional master's or doctorate level training in CNS. These advanced practice nurses are clinical experts in theory-based or research-based nursing, focusing on specific specialty areas.

From Webster's new world Medical Dictionary
A trained person who assists women during childbirth. Many midwives also provide prenatal care for pregnant women, birth education for women and their partners, and care for mothers and newborn babies after the birth.

From The Gale encyclopedia of nursing and Allied Health
Nurse anesthetists, or certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), are advanced practice registered nurses with specialized graduate level education, training, and certification in anesthesiology.

From Encyclopedia of Women's Health Broadly defined, an NP is an advanced practice registered nurse who has attained a formal NP education, primarily at the master's degree level.

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
Health-care professional who provides patient services ranging from taking medical histories and doing physical examinations to performing minor surgical procedures

From Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health
Registered nurses, or RNs, are health care professionals who work as part of health care teams to promote health and prevent and treat disease.

Medical specialty dealing with anesthesia and related matters, including resuscitation and pain.

From Reader's Guide to the History of Science
Cardiology is now held to be the study of the heart and its diseases, although the field is at times taken also to encompass the study of blood vessels and their diseases.

From Columbia Encyclopedia
Branch of medicine concerned with diagnosis and treatment of diseases and disorders of the skin. Dermatologists also study the structure and function of the skin, and the relationship between skin pathologies and malfunctions of other organs of the body

From Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
Medical discipline dealing with regulation of body functions by hormones and other biochemicals and treatment of endocrine system imbalances.

The branch of medicine concerned with the care of the elderly, and with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and disorders associated with aging.

From the Encyclopedia of 20th Century Technology
Study of the morphology, physiology, and pathology of the human nervous system. Since the brain, spine, and eye are integral part of the nervous system, the domain of neurology overlaps that of psychiatry, orthopedics and ophthalmology.

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
Branch of medicine concerned with the treatment of women during pregnancy, labor, childbirth (see birth), and the time after childbirth. Obstetrics is often combined with gynecology as a medical specialty.

From Webster's new world medical dictionary
The field of medicine that is devoted to cancer.

Branch of medicine specializing in the anatomy, function and diseases of the eye. Ophthalmologists specialize in the medical and surgical treatment of eye disorders, vision measurements for glasses (refraction), eye muscle exercises (orthoptics), and the prevention of blindness and care of the blind.

Medical specialty concerned with the correction of disease or damage in bones and joints.

From The Macmillan Encyclopedia
The branch of medicine concerned with the study of disease and disease processes in order to understand their causes and nature.

From The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Child Development
Medical specialty dealing with the development, health, and diseases of children.

Branch of medicine that concerns the diagnosis and treatment of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders, including major depression, schizophrenia, and anxiety.