Dictionary

breathing The process of respiration, during which air is inhaled into the lungs through the mouth or nose due to muscle contraction and then exhaled due to muscle relaxation.

Breathing is the process of taking in oxygen (inhalation) and expelling carbon dioxide (exhalation) through the lungs. It is essential for the body to function, as oxygen is required for cellular respiration, which provides energy for various bodily functions. There are two primary phases of breathing: Breathing is typically regulated by the brainstem, which automatically…

breech birth Birth of a baby with the buttocks, rather than the head, emerging first. Breech birth is more likely to cause injury to the mother or the infant than head-first birth. In many cases a baby in the breech position can be turned before delivery by using repeated, gentle massage.

Brenner tumor A tumor of the surface of the ovary. Brenner tumors are usually benign, but in rare cases, they are cancerous.

bridge 1 A set of one or more false teeth that is supported by a metal framework and used to replace one or more missing teeth. 2 A form of treatment that serves as a transition from a previous form of treatment and is followed with another form, such as in “bridge therapy.” 3 Tissue…

Brill-Zinsser disease Reactivation of epidemic typhus years after an earlier attack of the disease. Rickettsia prowazekii, the agent that causes epidemic typhus, remains viable for many years. When the host’s defenses are down, it can be reactivated. See also rickettsial diseases; typhus, epidemic.

brittle bone disease See osteogenesis imperfecta.

BRM See biological response modifier.

Broca area An area of the cerebral motor cortex in the frontal lobe of the brain that is responsible for speech development. Damage to the Broca area can cause speech disorders, including aphasia, apraxia, and dyspraxia. See also aphasia; apraxia of speech; dyspraxia of speech.

Broda test See basal temperature.

bronchi The plural of bronchus.

bronchiectasis Permanent abnormal widening of the bronchi (air tubes that branch deep into the lungs). Bronchiectasis can cause recurrent lung infections, a disabling cough, shortness of breath, and coughing up blood.