Dictionary of Medical Terms

Having to do with the joint formed by the sacrum and the ilium in the lower back.

A compound that’s hundreds of times sweeter than table sugar. Used as an artificial sweetener.

Pouch; a bag-like structure.

A type of measles that can lead to serious complications and death.

A mild childhood disease that causes fever and rash. Although rubella is mild in childhood, it’s dangerous to pregnant women…

A common viral infection of young children. Characterized by high fever, irritability and a faint rose-colored rash that appears on…

An infectious disease spread by tick bites.

A fungal infection of the skin.

A condition resulting from a vitamin D deficiency in childhood. Characterized by the softening of the bones and associated…

Runny nose.

Plastic surgery of the nose.

Inflammation of the mucous membranes of the nose.

Pain in the muscles and joints. Characterized by inflammation and stiffness. Sometimes used to describe arthritis, bursitis and sciatica.

A virus that produces DNA from RNA (the opposite of the normal order). A group of viruses that includes…

Behind the eyeball.

Degeneration of the retina.

The innermost layer of the eyeball. The retina contains the light-sensing rods and cones used for vision.

Delay or halt of any process such as mental or physical development.

Restoring the heartbeat and/or breathing in someone who’s apparently dead. Also called artificial respiration.

The act or process of breathing. The process by which a living organism or cell takes in oxygen from the…

A medical term used to describe a source of organisms causing a disease.