Medical Dictionary Definitions A-Z List
Medical Dictionary Definitions A - Z - «S»:
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Soft tissue sarcoma
Soft tissue sarcoma: A malignant tumor that begins in the
muscle, fat, fibrous tissue, blood vessels, or other "soft" supporting tissues of the body. Soft tissue sarcomas do not originate in bone or cartilage....
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Soft ulcer
Soft ulcer: See: Chancroid....
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Solar keratosis
Solar keratosis: Synonymous with actinic keratosis. See: Keratosis, actinic....
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Solipsism
Solipsism: The doctrine that I alone exist. The self can know only its feelings and changes. There is only subjective reality.
Solipsism is of importance to philosophy and psychology. Rene Descartes (1596-1650), the French mathematician, physicist and "father of modern philosophy", made solipsism a...
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Solitary tapeworm
Solitary tapeworm: Taenia solium....
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Solitude, fear of
Solitude, fear of: An abnormal and persistent fear of solitude, of being alone. Sufferers of this fear experience undue anxiety even though they realize that being alone does not threaten their well-being. They may worry about being ignored and unloved, or they may worry about intruders, strange noi...
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Somatic
Somatic: 1. Relating to the body. a. As distinguished from the mind (the psyche). b. As distinguished from the gonads.
From the Greek word somatikos meaning body....
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Somatic cell
Somatic cell: Any cell in the body other than an egg or sperm....
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Somatic cell nuclear transfer
Somatic cell nuclear transfer: The transfer of the nucleus from a somatic cell into an egg from which the nucleus has been removed....
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Somatic mutation
Somatic mutation: A mutation in a somatic cell, in contrast to a mutation in a germ cell. See also: Acquired mutation.
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Somatization
Somatization: The process by which psychologic distress is expressed as physical symptoms. Somatization is an unconscious process.
In somatization, mental experiences or states are "converted" to bodily symptoms. A tension headache is an example: tension is converted to a headache.
Somatization is a...
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Somatoform disorder
Somatoform disorder: See: Body dysmorphic disorder....
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Somatostatin
Somatostatin: A hormone widely distributed throughout the body, especially in the hypothalamus and pancreas, that acts as an important regulator of endocrine and nervous system function by inhibiting the secretion of several other hormones such as growth hormone, insulin, and gastrin. It exerts its ...
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Somatotropin
Somatotropin: Growth hormone, a polypeptide containing 191 amino acids, produced by the anterior pituitary, the front section of the pituitary gland. It acts by stimulating the release of another hormone called somatomedin by the liver, thereby causing growth. Somatotropin is also known as somatropi...
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Somatropin
Somatropin: Growth hormone made by the pituitary gland or a synthetic version of that hormone. Naturally occurring somatropin is a polypeptide containing 191 amino acids. It is produced specifically by the anterior pituitary, the front section of the gland, and acts by stimulating the release of ano...
