Dictionary

affective disorder A psychiatric disorder that affects the control of mood. See bipolar disorder; cyclothymia; depression; seasonal affective disorder.

Afferent refers to something that carries information or substances toward a central point. In biology and physiology, it often refers to vessels, nerves, or pathways that carry signals or fluid toward a particular organ or area. For example, veins are afferent vessels because they carry deoxygenated blood from the body toward the heart. The opposite…

afferent nerve A nerve that carries impulses toward the central nervous system.

afferent vessel A vessel that carries blood toward the heart. A vein or venule.

AFLP Acute fatty liver of pregnancy.

AFO Ankle-foot orthosis.

AFP Alpha-fetoprotein.

African tapeworm See Taenia saginata.

African tick typhus See typhus, African tick.

afterbirth The placenta and the fetal membranes that are normally expelled from the uterus after the birth of a baby. See also placenta.

aftercare Medical care and instructions for patients after leaving a medical facility.

agammaglobulinemia Total or near-total absence of infection-fighting antibodies belonging to the class called gamma globulins. Agammaglobulinemia can be due to certain genetic diseases or caused by acquired diseases, including AIDS.