Glossary of Terms - Courtesy Dictionary.com
There are 27 entries in this glossary.All
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Acanthamoeba |
A genus of free-living amebas(family Acanthamoebidae of the order Amoebida) found especially in soil and freshwater either in the form of feeding and asexually replicating trophozoites or dormant double-walled cysts and includingseveral (as A. culbertsoni and A. castellanii) which are pathogenic in humans causing infections of the skin, respiratory tract, eye (as keratitis especially in contact lens wearers), andbrain (as meningoencephalitis especially in immunocompromised individuals) |
| Alopathy |
The method of treating disease by the use of agents that produce effects different from those of the disease treated |
| Antioxidant |
An enzyme or other organic substance, as vitamin E or beta carotene, that is capable of counteracting the damaging effects of oxidation in animal tissues. |
| Astigmatism |
A refractive error of the eye in which parallel rays of light from an external source do not converge on a single focal point on the retina. |
| Beta Carotene |
The most abundant of various isomers of carotene, C(40)H(56), that can be converted by the body to vitamin A. |
| Blepharitis |
Inflammation of the eyelids. |
| Cataract |
An abnormality of the eye, characterized by opacity of the lens. |
| Conjunctivitis |
Inflammation of the conjunctiva. |
| Copper |
A malleable, ductile, metallic element having a characteristic reddish-brown color: used in large quantities as an electrical conductor and in the manufacture of alloys, as brass and bronze. |
| Cornea |
The transparent anterior part of the external coat of the eye covering the iris and the pupil and continuous with the sclera. |
| Diabetic Retinophathy |
A disorder of the blood vessels of the retina occurring as a complication of poorly controlled diabetes mellitus and often leading to blindness. |
| Eyelid |
The movable lid of skin that serves to cover and uncover the eyeball. |
| Floater |
A speck or string that appears to be drifting across the eye just outside the line of vision, caused by cells or cell fragments in the vitreous humor registering on the retina; musca volitans. |
| Iris |
The contractile, circular diaphragm forming the colored portion of the eye and containing a circular opening, the pupil, in its center. |
| Keratoplasty |
Plastic surgery performed upon the cornea, esp. a corneal transplantation. |
