Dictionary

goiter-deafness syndrome See Pendred syndrome.

golfer’s cramp A dystonia that affects the muscles of the hand and sometimes the forearm and that occurs only when a person is playing golf. Similar focal dystonias have also been called typist’s cramp, pianist’s cramp, musician’s cramp, and writer’s cramp. See also dystonia; dystonia, focal.

golfer’s elbow See elbow, golfer’s.

gonad A reproductive gland that produces germ cells (gametes): an ovary or testis.

gonad, female See ovary.

gonad, indifferent A gonad in an embryo that has not differentiated into a definitive testis or ovary. An indifferent gonad becomes a testis if the embryo has a Y chromosome, but if the embryo has no Y chromosome, the indifferent gonad becomes an ovary. The absence of a Y chromosome permits the indifferent gonad to…

gonad, male See testis.

gonadotropin One of the hormones that are secreted by the pituitary gland and that affect the function of the male or female gonads. See also follicle-stimulating hormone; human chorionic gonadotropin; luteinizing hormone.

gonadotropin, human chorionic See human chorionic gonadotropin.

gonorrhea A bacterial infection that is transmitted by sexual contact. Gonorrhea is one of the oldest known sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and it is caused by the Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacteria. Men with gonorrhea may have a yellowish discharge from the penis accompanied by itching and burning. More than half of women with gonorrhea do not…

Goodpasture syndrome An autoimmune disease characterized by a combination of lung and kidney disease. Hallmarks of the disease are pulmonary hemorrhage (bleeding in the lungs) and glomerulonephritis (inflammation of the glomerulus) due to severe inflammation in the basement membranes of the alveolus of the lung and the glomerulus in the kidney, with the formation of…

goose bumps A temporary local change in the skin that starts with a stimulus, such as cold or fear. That stimulus causes a nerve discharge from the sympathetic nervous system, which is part of the autonomic nervous system. The nerve discharge causes contraction of the hair erector muscle (arrectores pilorum), elevating the hair follicles above…