Medical Dictionary Definitions A-Z List
Medical Dictionary Definitions A - Z - «M»:
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Major histocompatibility complex
Major histocompatibility complex: Abbreviated MHC. A cluster of genes located on chromosome 6 concerned with antigen production and critical to the success of transplantation. The MHC includes the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes....
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Makeup, permanent
Makeup, permanent: See: Permanent makeup....
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Malabsorption
Malabsorption: The impaired absorption by the intestines of nutrients from food. Malabsorption can be specific and involve sugars, fats, proteins, or vitamins. Alternatively, malabsorption can be general and nonspecific.
The causes of malabsorption include
cystic fibrosis (from lack of pancreatic...
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Malacia
Malacia: Softening. For example, osteomalacia is softening while chondromalacia is softening of cartilage. From the Greek malakia, softness....
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Malady
Malady: From the French maladie for illness. ...
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Malaise
Malaise: A vague feeling of discomfort, one that cannot be pinned
down but is often sensed as "just not right."
Malaise comes straight from the
French who compounded it from "mal" (bad or ill) + "aise" (ease) = ill
at ease....
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Malar
Malar: Referring to the cheek. ...
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Malaria
Malaria: An infectious disease caused by protozoan parasites from the Plasmodium family that can be transmitted by the sting of the Anopheles mosquito or by a contaminated needle or transfusion. Falciparum malaria is the most deadly type.
The symptoms of malaria include cycles of chills, fever, s...
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Malaria, falciparum
Malaria, falciparum: The most dangerous type of
malaria. Caused by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum, this type of malaria is associated with high levels of parasites in the blood. Red blood cells infected with the parasites tend to sludge in capillaries and form microinfarctions -- little areas...
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Malaria, pregnancy-associated
Malaria, pregnancy-associated: See: Pregnancy-associated malaria....
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Malariologist
Malariologist: Someone who is versed in or engaged in the study of malaria. "Independent malariologists believe it kills two million people a year, mainly children under 5 and 90 percent of them in Africa." (Tina Rosenberg, writing in The New York Times, April 11, 2004)...
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Malariology
Malariology: The study of malaria. Someone who is versed in malariology is a malariologist....
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Malattia leventinese
Malattia leventinese: An hereditary form of macular degeneration that results in progressive and irreversible visual loss. This disease is characterized by the appearance in early adulthood of small round white spots (drusen), particularly in the macula of the retina, which progress to form a honeyc...
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Male
Male: The traditional definition of male was "an
individual of the sex that produces sperm" (or some such). However, things are not so
simple today. Male can be defined by physical appearance, by chromosome constitution (see
Male chromosome complement), or by gender identification....
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Male breast cancer
Male breast cancer: See: Breast cancer, male....
