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| gallbladder Small, dark green sac posterior to the liver that stores and concentrates bile. When stimulated by cholecystokinin from the duodenum, it contracts and releases bile into the common bile duct to the duodenum. |
| gastrectomy Surgical procedure to remove part of the stomach because of a cancerous tumor. |
| gastric Pertaining to the stomach. |
| gastrin Hormone produced by the stomach that stimulates the release of hydrocholoric acid and pepsinogen in the stomach. |
| gastritis Acute or chronic inflammation of the stomach due to eating spicy foods, excess acid production, or a bacterial infection. |
| gastroenteritis Acute inflammation or infection of the stomach and intestines. |
| gastroenterologist Medical specialist who deals with the gastrointestinal system. |
| gastroenterology Medical specialty that deals with the gastrointestinal system. |
| gastrointestinal system (GI) Body system that includes the mouth, teeth, tongue, salivary glands, pharynx (throat), esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, liver, gallbladder and pancreas. It digests food, absorbs nutrients into the blood, and excretes undigested waste products. Also known as the gastrointestinal tract, digestive system or tract, and the alimentary canal. |
| gastroplasty Surgical procedure to treat severely obese patients. Staples are placed down one side of the stomach, making the stomach much smaller. |
| gastroscope Medical instrument used for visualization and examination of the stomach. |
| gastroscopy Visualization and examination of the stomach using a gastroscope. |
| gastrostomy A surgically created stoma (opening) in the abdominal wall with a short tube inserted into the stomach. |
| gland One of the structures of the endocrine system that secretes hormones directly into the blood. |
| glossal Pertaining to the tongue. |
| gluten enteropathy Also known as celiac disease. Weight loss and tissue damage in the small intestine caused by the immune response’s reaction to the gluten in wheat products. Gluten is the protein in wheat that gives dough its elastic quality. |
| guaiac A chemical reagent. When a fecal occult blood test is conducted, a sample of feces is placed on paper and mixed with the chemical reagant guaiac. If blood is present, the guaiac will react and turn the paper blue (guaiac-positive stool). Hemoccult and Coloscreen cards can be purchased by consumers for home testing. These tests use guaiac-impregnated paper. |
| haustra Series of small outpouchings in the walls of the large intestine that expand or contract to accommodate varying amounts of food. |
| hematemesis Vomiting of new or old blood. |
| hematochezia Blood in the stool. The source of bleeding can be an ulcer, cancer, Crohn’s disease, polyp, diverticulum, or hemorrhoid. |
| hemorrhoid A swollen, protruding vein in the rectum (internal hemorrhoid) or on the perianal skin (external hemorrhoid). Also known as a pile. |
| hemorrhoidectomy Surgical procedure to remove hemorrhoids from the rectum or around the anus. |
| hepatic Pertaining to or affecting the liver. |
| hepatitis Inflammation and infection of the liver caused by the hepatitis virus. |
| hepatocyte Liver cell. |
| hepatoma Cancer of the liver cells. Also known as hepatocellular carcinoma. |
| hepatomegaly Enlargement of the liver due to liver damage from cirrhosis, hepatitis, or cancer. |
| hernia A weakness in the muscles of the abdominal wall that allows loops of intestine to balloon outward. |
| herniorrhaphy Surgical procedure that uses sutures to close a defect in a muscle wall where there is a hernia. |
| hiatal hernia Weakness in the diaphragm, the muscular wall between the thoracic and abdominopelvic cavities, that allows the esophagus or stomach to slide through and balloon into the thoracic cavity. Also known as a hiatus hernia. |
| hiatus hernia Weakness in the diaphragm, the muscular wall between the thoracic and abdominopelvic cavities, that allows the esophagus or stomach to slide through and balloon into the thoracic cavity. Also known as a hiatal hernia. |
| hydrochloric acid Strong acid produced by the stomach to break down food, kill microorganisms on food, and convert pepsinogen to the active digestive enzyme pepsin. |
| hyperemesis gravidarum Excessive vomiting during the first few months of pregnancy. |
| ileal Pertaining to the ileum. |
| ileostomy Surgical procedure to remove part of the ileum and colon and create a stoma. |
| ileum Third and last part of the small intestine. It connects to the cecum of the large intestine. |
| ileus Abnormal absence of peristalsis in the small and large intestines. |
| imperforate anus A congenital abnormality in which the rectum is closed. |
| incarcerated hernia An incarcerated hernia is one in which there is swelling and the intestines can no longer be pushed back into the abdominopelvic cavity. Also known as an irreducible hernia. |
| incisional hernia A hernia that occurs along the suture line of a prior surgical incision. |
| incontinence Inability to voluntarily control bowel movements and/or to keep urine in the bladder. |
| incontinent Having incontinence, the inability to voluntarily control bowel movements and/or to keep urine in the bladder. |
| indigestion Epigastric pain that may be accompanied by gas or nausea. Also known as dyspepsia. |
| inflammatory Characterized by inflammation, a swelling or loss of function as a result of injury or infection. |
| intestinal Pertaining to the intestine, the organ of digestion made up of the small intestine and the large intestine. |
| intestine Organ of digestion, made up of the small intestine and the large intestine. Also known as the bowels. |
| intravenous Provide hydration and calories to patients who temporarily cannot eat, usually due to surgery. The most commonly used intravenous fluids contain dextrose, saline, electrolytes, or a combination of these. |
| intussusception Telescoping of one segment of intestine into the lumen of an adjacent segment. |
| jaundice Yellowish discoloration of the skin and whites of the eyes. There are increased levels of unconjugated bilirubin in the blood. Jaundice is associated with liver disease. |
| jejunal Pertaining to the jejunum, the second part of the small intestine. |
| jejunostomy Surgical procedure to create a permanent opening from the abdominal wall into the jejunum through which to insert a jejunostomy tube. |
| jejunum Second part of the small intestine. |
| lactase Digestive enzyme that breaks down lactose, the sugar in milk. |
| laparoscope A fiberoptic endoscope, used during laparoscopy and inserted through the incision made near the umbilicus so that carbon dioxide gas can be used to inflate the abdominal cavity. Laparoscopy is a surgical procedure to visualize the pelvic cavity, uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries for diagnosis, biopsy, or surgery to remove or repair. |
| laparoscopic Pertaining to a laparoscope, a fiberoptic endoscope, used during laparoscopy and inserted through the incision made near the umbilicus so that carbon dioxide gas can be used to inflate the abdominal cavity. Laparoscopy is a surgical procedure to visualize the pelvic cavity, uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries for diagnosis, biopsy, or surgery to remove or repair. |
| laparoscopy Surgical procedure to visualize the pelvic cavity, uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries for diagnosis, biopsy, or surgery to remove or repair. A small incision is made by the umbilicus and carbon dioxide gas is used to inflate the abdominal cavity. Then a laparoscope, a fiberoptic endoscope, is inserted through the incision. |
| laparotomy Surgical procedure that uses an abdominal incision to widely open the abdominopelvic cavity so that it can be explored. |
| lingual Pertaining to the tongue. |
| lipase Digestive enzyme from the pancreas that breaks down fat globules in the duodenum into fatty acids. |
| liver Largest organ in the body. It produces bile. |
| liver transplantation Surgical procedure to remove a severely damaged liver from a patient with end-stage liver disease and insert a new liver from a donor. The patient (the recipient) is matched by blood type and tissue type to the donor. Liver transplant patients must take immunosuppressant drugs for the rest of their lives to keep their bodies from rejecting the foreign tissue that is their new liver. |
| lumen Central opening inside a blood vessel through which the blood flows. |
| malrotation Twisting of a loop of intestine around itself or around another segment of intestine because of a structural abnormality of the mesentery. |
| mastication Process of chewing, during which the teeth and tongue together tear, crush, and grind food. This is part of the process of mechanical digestion. |
| meconium Thick, sticky, greenish-black stool that is the first stool passed by a newborn baby. |
| medical assistant Allied health professionals who perform and document a variety of clinical and laboratory procedures and assist the physician during medical procedures in the office or clinic. |
| melena Dark, tarry stools that contain digested blood due to bleeding in the esophagus or stomach. These stools are said to be melenic. |
| melenic Pertaining to melena, the dark, tarry stools that contain digested blood due to bleeding in the esophagus or stomach. |
| mesenteric Pertaining tomesentery, the membranous sheet of peritoneum that supports the jejunum and ileum. |
| mesentery Membranous sheet of peritoneum that supports the jejunum and ileum. |
| mucosa Mucous membrane that lines the respiratory tract. It warms and humidifies incoming air. It produces mucus to trap foreign particles. Mucous membrane lining the inside of the bladder. Lining throughout the gastrointestinal system that consists of a mucous membrane that produces mucus and an underlying smooth muscle layer that contracts to move food. |
| mucosal Pertaining to the mucous membranes. |
| mucous Pertaining to, containing, or secreting mucus. |
| nausea An unpleasant, queasy feeling in the stomach that precedes the urge to vomit. |
| nauseated Having nausea, an unpleasant, queasy feeling in the stomach that precedes the urge to vomit. |
| obstipation Severe, unrelieved constipation. |
| obstructive Hindering or blocking. |
| odynophagia Difficult or painful eating or swallowing. |
| omentum Broad, fatty pouch of peritoneum that supports the stomach and hangs down over the small intestine to protect and cushion it. |
| omphalocele An umbilical hernia that is present at birth and only has a thin covering of peritoneum rather than skin. |
| oncologist Physicians who specialize in treating patients with cancer. After the patient’s cancer has been diagnosed, a medical oncologist assigns a grade and stage to the cancer and prescribes chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery, or a combination of all three, depending on the type of cancer and how advanced it is. Medical oncologists calculate the dosage of the chemotherapy drugs based on the patient’s body weight. |
| ova and parasites Diagnostic test to determine if there is a parasitic infection of the gastrointestinal tract. Ova are the eggs of parasitic worms. They can be seen in the stool or by examining a sample of stool under a microscope. |
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