Chorda tympani
Chorda tympani: A branch of the facial nerve (the seventh cranial nerve) that serves the taste buds in the front of the tongue, runs through the middle ear, and carries taste messages to the brain. The chorda tympani is part of one of three cranial nerves involved in taste.
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- Chordae tendineae
Chordae tendineae: Thread-like bands of fibrous tissue which attach on one end to the edges of the tricuspid and mitral valves of the heart and on the other end to the papillary muscles, small muscles within the heart that serve to anchor the valves.
- Chordoma
Chordoma: A benign tumor, usually in the lower back, that originates from cells destined to form cartilage. These cells are remnants of the primitive notochord, the flexible rod of cells in the embryo that forms the supporting axis of the body. Chordomas induce bone destruction.
- Chorea
Chorea: Ceaseless rapid complex body movements that look well coordinated and purposeful but are, in fact, involuntary. Chorea was thought suggestive of a grotesque dance. The term “chorea” is derived from the Greek word “choreia” for dancing (as is choreography).
- Chorioamnionitis
Chorioamnionitis: Inflammation of the chorion and the amnion, the membranes that surround the fetus. Chorioamnionitis usually is associated with a bacterial infection. This may be due to bacteria ascending from the mother’s genital tract into the uterus to infect the membranes and the amniotic fluid. Chorioamnionitis is dangerous to the mother and child.
- Chorioangioma, placental
Chorioangioma, placental: A benign tumor of a blood vessel in the placenta. Large chorioangiomas can cause complications, including excess amniotic fluid (polyhydramnios), maternal and fetal clotting problems (coagulopathies), premature delivery, toxemia, fetal heart failure, and hydrops (excess fluid) affecting the fetus. Chorioangiomas probably act as shunts between arteries and veins (arteriovenous shunts), leading to progressive […]