Category: Io-Iz

A common form of nutritional disorder, iron deficiency results in anemia as iron is necessary to make hemoglobin, key molecule in red blood cells responsible for the transport of oxygen. In iron deficiency anemia, the red cells appear abnormal and are unusually small (microcytic) and pale (hypochromic). The pallor of the red cells reflects their low hemoglobin content. The prevalence of iron deficiency…

An essential mineral. Iron is necessary for the transport of oxygen (via hemoglobin in red blood cells) and for oxidation by cells (via cytochrome). Deficiency of iron is a common cause of anemia. Food sources of iron include meat, poultry, eggs, vegetables and cereals (especially those fortified with iron). According to the National Academy of Sciences, the Recommended Dietary Allowances of…

Abbreviation for intelligence quotient, an attempt to measure the intelligence of someone. The IQ score is usually based upon the results of a written test. To calculate the IQ, the person’s mental age (as determined by a test) is divided by their chronologic age and the result is multiplied by 100.

Inactivated polio vaccine. The polio virus in IPV has been inactivated (killed). The inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) is also called the Salk vaccine after the late American physician-virologist Jonas Salk. The vaccines available for vaccination against polio are the IPV (inactivated polio vaccine) and the OPV (oral polio vaccine). IPV (inactivated polio vaccine) is given as a shot in the arm or leg.…

Interpersonal therapy.

On the same side, as opposed to contralateral. For example, a tumor involving the right side of the brain may affect vision ipsilaterally’that is, in the right eye.

A naturally occurring substance with multiple properties including the ability to cause vomiting (emesis). Ipecac is derived from dried roots of a bush called Uragoga ipecacuanha that is native to Brazil. In the past, a sizable proportion of poison exposures in the U.S. were treated with ipecac. This practice has dropped off and some experts recommend that…

The pressure created by the continual renewal of fluids within the eye. The normal IOP varies among individuals. The intraocular pressure is increased in glaucoma. In acute angle-closure glaucoma, the intraocular pressure rises rapidly because the iris blocks the angle in the front of the eye where the anterior chamber fluid normally drains out. In chronic glaucoma, there is a gradual imbalance between the production…

An element in the diet that is essential for the manufacture of hormones by the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland uses iodine to make thyroxine (T4), which has four iodine molecules attached to its structure, and triiodothyronine (T3), which has three iodine molecules attached. Iodine is found in seafood, bread, iodized salt, and seaweed.