Category: Ot-Oz

The armpit. From the Old English oxta or ohsta. The word oxter is used in certain areas of the world (Scotland, Ireland, Northern England), reminding us that there are many local and colloquial names for parts of the human anatomy. Synonymous with axilla.

The release of the ripe egg (ovum) from the ovary. The egg is released when the cavity surrounding it (the follicle) breaks open in response to a hormonal signal. Ovulation occurs around 14 or 15 days from the first day of the woman?s last menstrual cycle. When ovulation occurs, the ovum moves into the Fallopian tube and becomes available…

The term “overweight” is used in two different ways. In one sense it is a way of saying imprecisely that someone is heavy. The other sense of “overweight” is more precise and designates a state between normal weight and obesity. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) now defines overweight in terms of the BMI (the body mass index) which is a…

A sudden involuntary contraction of the muscular wall of the bladder causing urinary urgency, an immediate unstoppable need to urinate. It is a form of urinary incontinence (the unintentional loss of urine) and affects about 1 in 11 adults, particularly older adults. Treatment may include pelvic muscle strengthening, behavioral therapy, and medications. Also called urge incontinence.

A drug for which a prescription is not needed.

The female gonad, one of a pair of reproductive glands in women. The ovaries are located in the pelvis, one on each side of the uterus. Each ovary is about the size and shape of an almond. The ovaries produce eggs (ova) and female hormones. During each monthly menstrual cycle, an egg is released from one ovary. The…

Also called a dermoid cyst of the ovary, this is a bizarre tumor, usually benign, in the ovary that typically contains a diversity of tissues including hair, teeth, bone, thyroid, etc. A dermoid cyst develops from a totipotential germ cell (a primary oocyte) that is retained within the egg sac (ovary). Being totipotential, that cell can give rise to all orders…

A fluid-filled sac in the ovary. The most common type of ovarian cyst is called a follicular cyst. It results from the growth of a follicle. A follicle is the fluid-filled cyst that contains an egg. In some cycles, this follicle grows larger than normal and does not rupture to release the egg. Normally it resolves with simple observation…

Plural of ovum.

A measure of weight equal to 1/16th of a pound or, metrically, 28.35 grams. The abbreviation for ounce is oz.