Dictionary

foot drop brace See ankle-foot orthosis.

foot, athlete’s See athlete’s foot.

foot 1 The extremity at the end of the leg, with which a person stands and walks. The foot is a complex structure, made up of dozens of bones that work together with muscles and tendons to execute precise movements. The bones of the foot include the 10 metatarsals and the 28 phalanges (toe bones)….

foodborne disease See food poisoning.

food poisoning Disease caused by food-borne infectious organisms, such as the Clostridium botulinum bacteria that produces deadly botulism toxin. Symptoms may include stomach upset, nausea, vomiting, and weakness, depending on the organism involved. The most prominent causes of food poisoning are noroviruses (often from shellfish and salads), Campylobacter jejuni (the leading cause of bacterial food…

Food and Drug Administration An agency within the US Public Health Service that provides a number of health-related services. Abbreviated FDA. The FDA’s services include inspecting food and foodprocessing facilities to ensure wholesomeness and safety; scrutinizing food and drugs for pets and farm animals; ensuring that cosmetics will not cause harm; monitoring the health of…

food, “super” Food with alleged healing or health-promoting capabilities. Not all items advertised as “super” foods or healing foods have been proven to promote health, however, and some may be contraindicated for people with certain health conditions.

food, functional A modified food that claims to improve health or well-being by providing benefit beyond that of the traditional nutrients it contains. Functional foods may include such items as cereals, breads, beverages that are fortified with vitamins, some herbs, and nutraceuticals.

food Any substance that is eaten to provide nutritional support for the body.

fontanel A soft spot of the skull of a newborn infant where the cartilage has not yet hardened into bone between the skull bones. There are normally two fontanels, both in the midline of the skull. The anterior fontanel is well in front of the posterior fontanel. The posterior fontanel closes first, at latest by…

Fong disease See nail-patella syndrome.

Fondation Jean Dausset The Centre d’Etudes du Polymorphisme Humain (CEPH), an internationally renowned research laboratory created in Paris in 1984 by Professor Jean Dausset to provide the scientific community with resources for human genome mapping.