Dictionary

bypass An operation in which a new pathway is created for the transport of substances in the body.

bypass, cardiopulmonary A bypass of the heart and lungs as, for example, in open heart surgery. In this procedure, blood returning to the heart is diverted through a heart-lung machine (a pumpoxygenator) before being returned to the arterial circulation.

bypass, coronary A form of bypass surgery that can create new routes around narrowed and blocked arteries, permitting increased blood flow to deliver oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscles. Also known as coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, it is an option for selected patients with significant narrowings and blockages of the heart arteries….

C 1 In genetics, cytosine, a member of the G-C (guanine-cytosine) base pair in DNA. 2 In bioscience, carbon, an essential element in the basic structure of living things.

C1 through C7 The seven cervical vertebrae of the neck. C1 supports the head and is named atlas, for the Greek god who supported the world. C2 is called the axis because the atlas rotates about the odontoid process, a bony projection of the axis. C7 is sometimes called the prominent vertebra because of its…

CA 19–9 A tumor marker found in patients with colorectal, pancreatic, stomach, and bile duct cancer.

CA 125 Cancer antigen 125, a protein normally made by certain cells in the body, including those of the ovaries, Fallopian tubes, uterus, cervix, and lining of the chest and abdominal cavities (the pleura and peritoneum). When CA 125 is found in higher than normal amounts (more than 35 kU/ml), it is considered a marker…

CABG Coronary artery bypass graft. See bypass, coronary.

cachetic Having cachexia. Patients with cancer, AIDS, and other serious chronic diseases may appear cachetic. See also cachexia.

cachexia General physical wasting with loss of weight and muscle mass due to a disease. Also known as marasmus.

CAD Coronary artery disease.

caduceus A staff with two snakes entwined about it, topped by a pair of wings. The caduceus was carried by the Greek messenger god Hermes, whose Roman counterpart was Mercury, and is therefore the sign of a herald. By a curious misconception, the caduceus also became the insignia of the US Army Medical Corps and…