Medical Dictionary Definitions A-Z List
Medical Dictionary Definitions A - Z - «C»:
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Calcinosis
Calcinosis: An abnormal deposit of calcium salts
in body tissues, as is seen in some forms of disease....
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Calcipotriene
Calcipotriene: A synthetic form of vitamin D3 that can be applied to the skin to treat psoriasis....
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Calcitonin
Calcitonin: A hormone produced by the thyroid gland that lowers the levels of calcium and phosphate in the blood and promotes the formation of bone.
Bone is in a constant state of remodeling whereby old bone is removed by cells called osteoclast and new bone is laid down by cells called osteoblasts...
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Calcitriol
Calcitriol: The active form of vitamin D. Calcitriol is formed in the kidneys or made in the laboratory. It is used as a drug to increase calcium levels in the body in order to treat skeletal and tissue-related calcium deficiencies caused by kidney or thyroid disorders....
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Calcium
Calcium: A mineral found mainly in the hard part of bones, where it is stored. Calcium is added to bones by cells called osteoblasts and is removed from bones by cells called
osteoclasts. Calcium is essential for healthy bones. It is also
important for muscle contraction, heart action, nervous sys...
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Calcium channel blocker
Calcium channel blocker: A drug
that blocks the entry of calcium into the muscle cells of the heart and the arteries. It is the entry of calcium into these cells that causes the heart to contract and arteries to narrow. By blocking the entry of calcium, calcium channel blocker (CCBs) decrease the co...
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Calcium deficiency
Calcium deficiency: A low level of calcium in the blood
(hypocalcemia) which can make the nervous system highly irritable causing tetany (spasms of the hands and feet, muscle cramps, abdominal cramps, and overly active reflexes). Chronic calcium deficiency contributes to poor mineralization of bone...
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Calcium excess
Calcium excess: Overly high intake of calcium that can result in elevated levels of calcium in the blood (hypercalcemia). This can cause muscle weakness and constipation, affect the
conduction of electrical impulses in the heart (heart block), lead to
calcium stones in the urinary tract (nephrocal...
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Calculi
Calculi: The plural of calculus. (Calculi is the proper Latin plural. The alternate English plural is calculuses.)...
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Calculi, renal
Calculi, renal: Kidney stones, by
another name. A common cause of blood in the urine and pain
in the abdomen, flank, or groin. Occurs in 1 in 20 people
at some time in their life. Development of the stones is
related to decreased urine volume or increased excretion of
stone-forming components ...
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Calculus
Calculus: 1. A stone within the body, such as a stone in the urinary tract.
2. The calcium salt deposits on the teeth.
3. A field of mathematics.
These different meanings of "calculus" all go bach to the origin of the word. In Latin, a calculus is "a pebble." Pebbles were once used for counting,...
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Calculus, renal
Calculus, renal: A stone in the kidney (or lower down in the urinary tract). Also called a kidney stone. The stones themselves are called renal caluli. The word "calculus" (plural: calculi) is the Latin word for pebble.
Renal stones are a common cause of blood in the urine and pain in the abdomen,...
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Calefacient
Calefacient: 1. (noun) Anything that warms.
2. (noun) A substance that produces a feeling of warmth when it is applied to the body.
3. (adjective) Producing warmth; heating.
From the Latin calefacere (to make warm), from calere (to be warm) + facere (to make)....
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Calf
Calf: The belly or fleshy hind part of the leg below the knee. The calf is made up mainly of the gastrocnemius muscle (which comes from the Greek "gastroknemia" meaning calf of the leg, from "gaster" (gastr-), belly, + "kneme," leg).
The word "calf" comes through the Anglo-Saxon, it is thought, fro...
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Calf bone
Calf bone: Familiar name for the fibula, the lateral (outside) and smaller of the two long bones in the lower leg. The other bone in the lower leg is the tibia. The tibia bears weight; the fibula does not.
The fibula articulates (comes together to form a joint) with the tibia above and with the tib...