Macrolide
One in a class of antibiotics that includes Biaxin, Clarithromycin, Ery-Tab, and Erythromycin.
The macrolides inhibit the growth of bacteria and are often prescribed to treat rather common bacterial infections.
In more technical terms, the macrolides are a group of antibiotics produced by various strains of Streptomyces (spore forming bacteria that grow slowly in soil or water as a branching filamentous mycelium similar to that of fungi) and have a complex chemical (macrocyclic) structure. They act by inhibiting protein synthesis, specifically by blocking the 50S ribosomal subunit. They are broad spectrum antibiotics.
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- Macroorchidism
Abnormally large testes. To determine if the testes are too large, a device called an orchidometer is used that permits a testis to be compared to a series of plastic ovals (like miniature American footballs) of differing sizes. Macroorchidism is a diagnostic feature, for example, of the fragile X syndrome, the most common inherited form […]
- Macrophage
A type of white blood cell that ingests foreign material. Macrophages are key players in the immune response to foreign invaders of the body, such as infectious microorganisms. They are normally found in the liver, spleen, and connective tissues of the body.
- Macrophagic myofasciitis
A muscle disease first identified in 1993, macrophagic myofasciitis is named for the findings seen in tissue from muscle biopsies, namely an abnormal infiltrate surrounding muscle tissue of specialized immune cells called “macrophages,” a type of immune cell important to swallowing and destroying microorganisms. They also assist other immune cells in the body’s response to […]
- Macroscopic
Large enough to be seen with the naked eye, as opposed to microscopic. For example, a macroscopic tumor is big enough to be seen without the aid of a microscope. From the Greek macro- (large, long) + -scopic, from skopos (aim, mark).
- Macrosomia
An overly large body. A child with macrosomia has significant overgrowth, which can represent a hormone imbalance.