Glossary

Glossary

Adenomatous—pertaining to a benign tumor composed of epithelial cells

Adulteration—the addition or substitution of an impure, weaker, cheaper, or possibly toxic substance in a formulation or product

Affinity—a force causing agents to combine

Agonist—a drug that binds to the receptor and stimulates the receptor's function

Alimentary—pertaining to the digestive tract

Alopecia—the absence or loss of hair

Anabolic—the building of tissues

Anaerobe—a microorganism that can live and grow in the absence of oxygen

Androgenic—causing masculinization

Antigenic—the ability to produce antibodies

Antiperistaltic—the loss of the wave of contractions in the gastrointestinal tract moving toward the end point

Antagonists—a drug that has affinity for a cell receptor and, by binding to it, prevents the cell from responding to an agonist

Arthropathy—general term for joint disease

Ataxia—defective muscular coordination

Atrial fibrillation—quivering or spontaneous contraction of individual cardiac muscle fibers

Attenuated—to make less virulent

Autoimmune—a condition in which antibodies are produced against the body's own tissues

Bactericidal—capable of killing bacteria

Bacteriostatic—inhibiting or retarding bacterial growth

Basal—baseline or resting

Bioavailability—the rate and extent to which an active drug or metabolite enters the general circulation, permitting access to the site of action

Bioequivalence—pertaining to a drug that has the same effect on the body as another drug, usually one nearly identical in its chemical formulation

Bolus—dose of medication administered rapidly or all at once to decrease the response time

Buccal—relating to the cheek or mouth

Capsid—the protein covering around the central core of a virus

Capsule—a special container made of gelatin, sized for a single dose of a drug

Centrally acting— pertaining to a drug or medication that works through the central nervous system

Cardiomyopathy—any disease that affects the heart muscle, diminishing cardiac performance

Chemotactic—the movement of additional white blood cells to an area of inflammation in response to the release of chemical mediators by neutrophils, monocytes, and injured tissue

Device—an instrument, apparatus, implement, machine, implant, in vitro reagent, or other similar or related article, including any component, part, or accessory, which is intended for the use in the diagnosis of disease or other conditions, or in the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease in man or other animals

Direct acting—pertaining to a drug or medication that works directly on a specific site or tissue