Dictionary

intra- Prefix indicating within.

intolerance, food Difficulty in digesting a food. Common offenders include milk products, wheat and other grains that contain gluten, and foods that tend to cause intestinal gas, such as cabbage and beans. Food intolerance is often mistaken for food allergy, but it does not involve a histamine response against the food. Treatments include avoiding the…

intestine, small The tubelike organ that receives the products of digestion from the stomach. It has three parts: the duodenum, the jejunum, and the ileum. The duodenum is rich in glands that produce digestive enzymes, and it also receives bile from the liver. Digested material moves from the duodenum to the ileum through the jejunum….

intestine, large The tubelike organ that completes the process of digestion, receiving material from the small intestine. It has four parts: the caecum, the appendix (vermiform appendix), the colon, and the rectum. After the products of digestion enter the caecum through the ileocecal valve, they move rapidly past the appendix, which juts out from the…

intestine The long, tubelike organ in the abdomen that completes the process of digestion. It consists of the small and large intestines and extends from the stomach to the anus. See also intestine, large; intestine, small.

intestinal pseudo-obstruction A condition in which the patient has symptoms of intestinal obstruction with no sign of actual physical obstruction. This condition may be due to problems with the nerves that control intestinal muscles or to other causes. Treatment depends on the cause.

intestinal obstruction Blockage of the intestine by infolding (intussusception), malformation, tumor, digestive problems, a foreign body, or inflammation. Symptoms of intestinal obstruction can include crampy abdominal pain, lack of ability to normally eliminate feces, and eventually shock. On examining the abdomen, the physician may feel a mass. Abdominal X-rays may suggest intestinal obstruction, but a…

intervertebral disc A disk-shaped piece of specialized tissue that separates the bones of the spinal column. Intervertebral discs form the intervertebral joints and provide protection and shock absorbing functions for the spine. The center of a disc, called the nucleus, is soft, springy, and receives the shock of standing, walking, running, etc. The outer ring…

interventricular septum The stout wall that separates the lower chambers (the ventricles) of the heart from one another. A hole in the interventricular septum is termed a ventricular septal defect (VSD).

interventricular foramen An opening between the lateral and third ventricles in the system of four communicating cavities within the brain that are continuous with the central canal of the spinal cord.

intervening sequence See intron.

interstitial-cell-stimulating hormone (ICSH) See luteinizing hormone.