Medical Dictionary Definitions A-Z List
Medical Dictionary Definitions A - Z - «H»:
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Homeostasis
Homeostasis: A property of cells, tissues, and organisms that allows
the maintenance and regulation of the stability and constancy needed to function
properly. Homeostasis is a healthy state that is maintained by the constant
adjustment of biochemical and physiological pathways. An example of hom...
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Homeotherm
Homeotherm: A homeotherm is a warm-blooded
animal (such as homo sapiens). Another term for us warm-blooded creatures is endotherm.
Those of us who are homeotherms or endotherms are as opposed to a poikilotherm (an organism such as a frog that is cold-blooded) and a stenotherm (a creature that can o...
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Homicide
Homicide: 1. The killing of a person.
2. Strictly speaking, the killing of a man. femicide.
From the Latin meaning murderer, from homo, man + caedere, to kill....
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Homo erectus
Homo erectus: A primate believed to have been an extinct ancestor of modern humans being (Homo sapiens). Known to have been tall (average 1.78 m or 5 feet, 10 inches), erect stature, smaller brain (about 75% the size of Homo sapiens), and a lower forehead than modern humans. Homo erectus is Latin fo...
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Homo floresiensis
Homo floresiensis: A human-like species who lived until 18,000 years ago in the company of giant Komodo lizards and now-extinct pygmy elephants on the isolated island of Flores in Indonesia. Homo floresiensis was only one meter (3 feet) tall and had a brain one-third the size of that of modern human...
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Homo sapiens
Homo sapiens: The primate species of mammal to which modern humans belong. Homo sapiens is Latin for knowing man or wise man....
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Homo-
Homo-: Combining form from the Greek
"homos" meaning "same." The
opposite is hetero- from the Greek
"heteros" meaning "different." For example, there is heterogeneous and
homogeneous, heterosexual and homosexual, etc....
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Homocysteine
Homocysteine: An amino acid produced by the body, usually as a byproduct of consuming meat. Homocysteine is made from another amino acid, methionine, and then in turn is converted into other amino acids.
Elevated levels of homocysteine in the blood appear to make for an elevated risk of
cardiovasc...
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Homocystinuria
Homocystinuria: A genetic disease due to an enzyme deficiency.
Among other events, there is a buildup of the amino acid homocystine. Progressive mental
retardation is common in untreated cases. The finding of vascular disease and premature
arteriosclerosis in persons with homocystinuria led to the t...
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Homogentisate 1,2-dioxygenase
Homogentisate 1,2-dioxygenase: The enzyme encoded in the HGD gene. Mutation of HGD \causes the genetic disease alkaptonuria. Homogentisate 1,2-dioxygenase is also called homogentisate oxidase....
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Homogentisate oxidase
Homogentisate oxidase: The enzyme encoded in the HGD gene. Mutation of HGD causes the genetic disease alkaptonuria. Homogentisate oxidase is also called Homogentisate 1,2-dioxygenase ....
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Homogentisic acid oxidase deficiency
Homogentisic acid oxidase deficiency: Alkaptonuria....
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Homograft
Homograft: See: Allograft....
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Homolog (homologue)
Homolog (homologue): One chromosome of a pair. ...
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Homologies
Homologies: Similarities in DNA or protein sequences
between individuals or between species....
