Category: Sm-St

1. Material with particular features.2. The material that makes up an organ or structure. Also known in medicine as the substantia.

The presence of increased secretions and mucus in the nasal passages, most commonly arising as a result of a common cold, allergic reaction, or inflammation or infection of the paranasal sinuses (sinus infection).

The group of individuals in a study. In a clinical trial, the participants make up the study population. The study population might, for example, consist of all children under 2 years of age in a community.

Commonly used abbreviation for “sequence tagged site.” A short (200 to 500 base pair) DNA sequence that occurs but once in the genome and whose location and base sequence are known. STSs are detectable by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), are useful for localizing and orienting the mapping and sequence data, and serve as landmarks on the physical…

The supportive framework of an organ (or gland or other structure), usually composed of connective tissue. The stroma is distinct from the parenchyma, which consists of the key functional elements of that organ. The stroma of the thyroid gland is the connective tissue that supports the lobules and follicles of the thyroid gland. The Greek word “stroma” means “anything spread out for sitting or lying…

The amount of blood pumped by the left ventricle of the heart in one contraction. The stroke volume is not all the blood contained in the left ventricle; normally, only about two-thirds of the blood in the ventricle is expelled with each beat. Together with the heart rate, the stroke volume determines the output of blood by the heart…

A cardiodynamic measure. Stroke volume is the amount of blood the left ventricle ejects in one beat, measured in milliliters per beat (ml/beat). The stroke volume can be indexed to a patient’s body size by dividing by the body surface area to yield the stroke index.

The sudden death of brain cells due to lack of oxygen, caused by blockage of blood flow or rupture of an artery to the brain. Sudden loss of speech, weakness, or paralysis of one side of the body can be symptoms. A suspected stroke may be confirmed by scanning the brain with special X-ray tests, such as CAT scans. The death rate and…

An abnormal narrowing of a body passage, especially a tube or a canal. The stricture may be due, for example, to scar tissue or to a tumor. Stricture refers to both the process of narrowing and the narrowed part itself.

In a medical or biological context stress is a physical, mental, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension. Stresses can be external (from the environment, psychological, or social situations) or internal (illness, or from a medical procedure). Stress can initiate the “fight or flight” response, a complex reaction of neurologic and endocrinologic systems. Catecholamine hormones, such as adrenaline or…