Category: Ff-Fq

One of the last two ribs. A rib is said to be “floating” if it does not attach to the sternum (the breast bone) or to another rib. There are usually 12 pairs of ribs in all. Each pair of ribs is attached to the building blocks of the spine (the vertebrae) in the back. The 12 pairs of ribs consist…

A blurry spot that seems to drift in front of the eyes but does not block vision. The blur is the result of debris from the vitreous of the eye casting a shadow on the retina. The spot is the image formed by a deposit of protein drifting in the vitreous, the clear jelly-like substance that fills the…

The process of bending, or the state of being bent. For example, flexion of the fingers results in a clenched fist.

Gas in the intestinal tract or gas passed through the anus. Intestinal gas contains numerous gases including oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and methane. The foul smell usually is caused by small traces of gases such as hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and methane.

Excess gas in the intestinal tract. But excess flatulence is difficult to define without a yardstick to measure the “normal” frequency of gas passages. Symptom-free individuals have recorded approximately 14 passages of gas per 24 hours. From the Latin flastus, meaning blowing, as a breeze or snort.

A severe reduction in emotional expressiveness. People with depression and schizophrenia often show flat affect. A person with schizophrenia may not show the signs of normal emotion, perhaps may speak in a monotonous voice, have diminished facial expressions, and appear extremely apathetic. Also known as blunted affect.

“Flashing,” or exhibitionism is characterized by intense, sexually arousing fantasies, urges or behaviors involving exposure of the individual’s genitals to an unsuspecting stranger. The individual with this problem, sometimes called a “flasher,” feels a need to surprise, shock or impress his victims. The condition usually is limited to the exposure, with no other harmful advances made, although “indecent exposure”…

1. an exacerbation of a chronic disease. Sometimes referred to as a flare-up, a flare occurs when symptoms of a disease that has been present for a time suddenly worsen. A flare is a transient worsening in severity of a disease or condition that eventually subsides or lessens. For example, in many arthritis conditions the joints can flare…

A gene that helps make a leukotriene, a signal that activates the white blood cells involved in inflammation. FLAP stands for 5-lipoxygenase-activating protein. FLAP has been implicated in a number of inflammatory responses, including asthma, arthritis, psoriasis, heart attack and stroke. FLAP was the first gene discovered to be a major risk factor for the common form of heart attack and the second major genetic factor…

Flank: a term used to describe the part of the body in humans on the side between the ribs and hip. The term flank is also used to describe the side part of an animal’s body.