Capillary
Capillary: A tiny blood vessel that connects an arteriole (the smallest division of an artery) with a venule (the smallest division of a vein). Although tiny, the capillary plays an imortant role in the circulatory system. The walls of capillaries act as semipermeable membranes that permit the exchange of various substances, including fluids and the gases oxygen and carbon dioxide, between the blood stream and the tissues of the body.
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Capitation: In US health services, a fixed ‘per capita’ amount that is paid to a hospital, clinic, or physician for each person served. If that person uses few services, the excess amount paid is potential profit for the payee. If the person uses many services, the payee may lose money.
- Capsaicin
Capsaicin: Capsaicin is an active component of chili peppers that is used to relieve muscle pain, joint pain, and nerve pain associated with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and diabetic neuropathy. It is available in topical cream, ointment, stick, pad, gel, liquid, and lotion. It appears to work by reducing a chemical, substance P, found at nerve […]
- Capsid
Capsid: The protein coat of a virus. The term capsid came in 1960 from the French capside, from the Latin capsa, case. See also: Nucleocapsid.
- Capsule
Capsule: Capsule has many meanings in medicine including the following: In medicine, a membranous structure that envelops an organ, a joint, tumor, or any other part of the body. It is usually made up of dense collagen-containing connective tissue. In pharmacy, a solid dosage form in which the drug is enclosed in a hard or […]
- Capsulitis
Capsulitis: Inflammation of the capsule of the lens, joint, liver, or labyrinth. See also: Adhesive capsulitis.