Apex
Apex: The Latin word for summit, the apex is the tip of a pyramidal or rounded structure, such as the lung or the heart. The apex of the lung is indeed its tip’its rounded most superior portion. The apex of the heart is likewise its tip, but it is formed by the left ventricle, so it is essentially the most inferior portion of the heart.
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- Apgar
Apgar: Abbreviation for the Apgar score, a practical method of evaluating the physical condition of a newborn infant shortly after delivery. The Apgar score is a number arrived at by scoring the heart rate, respiratory effort, muscle tone, skin color, and response to a catheter in the nostril. Each of these objective signs can receive […]
- Apgar score
An objective score of the condition of a baby after birth. This score is determined by scoring the heart rate, respiratory effort, muscle tone, skin color, and response to a catheter in the nostril. Each of these objective signs receives 0, 1, or 2 points. An Apgar score of 10 means an infant is in […]
- Aphakia
Aphakia: Absence or loss of the eye’s natural crystalline lens, as after cataract removal. From a-, without + phacos, the Greek word for a lentil bean. The ancients thought (quite correctly) that the lens of the eye was shaped like a lentil bean.
- Aphasia
Literally, no speech. Aphasia may also be used to describe defects in spoken expression or comprehension of speech.
- Apheresis
The process of removing a specific component from blood temporarily. Also known as hemapheresis and pheresis. Forms of apheresis include plasmapheresis, harvesting plasma or liquid part of the blood; leukapheresis, harvesting leukocytes or white blood cells; granulocytapheresis, harvesting granulocytes; lymphocytapheresis, harvesting lymphocytes; lymphoplasmapheresis, harvesting lymphocytes and plasma; and plateletpheresis, harvesting platelets.