| ultimobranchial body | A diverticulum from the fourth pharyngeal pouch of an embryo, regarded by some as a rudimentary fifth pharyngeal pouch and by others as a lateral thyroid primordium. The ultimobranchial bodies of lower vertebrates contain large amounts of calcitonin. In mammals the bodies fuse with the thyroid gland and are thought to develop into the parafollicular cells. (12 Dec 1998) |
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| ketone body | <biochemistry> Any of the three compounds created by acetyl coenzyme A (acetoacetate, hydroxybutyrate, and acetone) which are water-soluble cellular fuels normally exported by the liver. They can build up in the blood and body tissues because of starvation, untreated diabetes mellitus, or other disorders that interfere with carbohydrate metabolism. The body rids itself of ketones mainly through urine, but it rids itself of acetone through the lungs, which gives the breath a characteristic fruity odour. If ketones build up in the body long enough, they cause serious illness and coma (see ketoacidosis.) (09 Oct 1997) |
| fat body | A nutritional reservoir of fatty tissue found mainly in insects and amphibians. (12 Dec 1998) |
| fat body of cheek | An encapsuled mass of fat in the cheek on the outer side of the buccinator muscle, especially marked in the infant; supposed to strengthen and support the cheek during the act of sucking. Synonym: corpus adiposum buccae, Bichat's fat-pad, Bichat's protuberance, fat body of cheek, sucking cushion, sucking pad, suctorial pad. (05 Mar 2000) |
| fat body of ischiorectal fossa | The fat within the ischiorectal fossa. Synonym: corpus adiposum fossae ischiorectalis, fat body of ischiorectal fossa. (05 Mar 2000) |
| fat body of orbit | The mass of fat contained in the orbit that contributes to the support of the eyeball. Synonym: corpus adiposum orbitae, fat body of orbit. (05 Mar 2000) |
| zebra body | Metachromatically staining membrane-bound granules, measuring 0.5-1 um in diameter and containing lamellae with a 5.8 nm spacing, reported in Schwann cells and macrophages of patients suffering from metachromatic leukodystrophy. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Lafora body | An intraneural intracytoplasmic inclusion body composed of acid mucopolysaccharides, seen in familial myoclonus epilepsy; a recessive trait. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Lafora body disease | A form of progressive myoclonus epilepsy beginning from age 6 to 19; characterised by generalised tonic-clonic seizures, resting and action myoclonus, ataxia, dementia, and classic EEG findings, including polyspike and wave discharges; basophilic cytoplasmic inclusion bodies present in portions of the brain, the liver, and skin, as well as the duct cells of the sweat glands. Death usually occurs within 10 years of onset; autosomal recessive inheritance. Synonym: Lafora's disease. (05 Mar 2000) |
| foreign body | Anything in the tissues or cavities of the body that has been introduced there from without, and that is not rapidly absorbable. (05 Mar 2000) |
| foreign-body appendicitis | Appendicitis caused by obstruction of the lumen of the appendix by a foreign substance, such as a particulate foreign body. (05 Mar 2000) |
| foreign body aspiration | <radiology> 80% most likely to be obstructive emphysema (air trapping), 20% most likely to be obstructive atelectasis, <1% most likely to be normal aeration, normal bronchi dilate during inspiration, the aspirated particle acts as a one-way valve, decubitus or inspiratory/expiratory views (12 Dec 1998) |
| foreign body giant cell | <pathology> Syncytium formed by the fusion of macrophages in response to an indigestible particle too large to be phagocytosed for example talc, silica or asbestos fibres). There may be as many as 100 nuclei randomly distributed: similar cells but with the nuclei more peripherally located (Langhans cells) are found at the centre of tuberculous lesions. (06 Mar 1998) |
| foreign body granuloma | A granuloma caused by the presence of foreign particulate material in tissue, characterised by a histiocytic reaction with foreign body giant cells. (05 Mar 2000) |
| foreign-body migration | Migration of a foreign body from its original location to some other location in the body. (12 Dec 1998) |