| bell sound | In cases of a large pulmonary cavity or of pneumothorax, a clear metallic sound obtained by striking a coin, held against the chest, by another coin, or by flicking the chest wall with one's fingernail; the sound is heard on auscultating the chest wall on the same side anteroposteriorly. Synonym: anvil sound, bell sound, coin test. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| Bell's palsy | A condition that involves the facial nerve (VII cranial nerve) and results in the paralysis of one side of the face. Bell's (facial nerve palsy) can be differentiated from a central (stroke) deficit by the inability to raise the eyebrow on the affected side. (27 Sep 1997) |
| Bell's phenomenon | A patient with peripheral facial paralysis cannot close the eyelids of the affected side without at the same time moving the eyeball upward and outward. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Bell's respiratory nerve | <anatomy, nerve> Arises from the fifth, sixth, and seventh cervical nerves (roots of brachial plexus), descends the neck behind the brachial plexus, and is distributed to the serratus anterior muscle; it is somewhat unusual in that it courses on the superficial aspect of the muscle is supplies; its paralysis results in "winged scapula". Synonym: nervus thoracicus longus, Bell's respiratory nerve, external respiratory nerve of Bell, posterior thoracic nerve. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Bell's spasm | Involuntary twitching of the facial muscles, sometimes unilateral. Synonym: Bell's spasm, convulsive tic, facial spasm, histrionic spasm, mimic convulsion, mimic spasm, mimic tic, palmus, prosopospasm. (05 Mar 2000) |
| bell stage | Third stage of tooth development, wherein the cells form the inner enamel epithelium, the stratum intermedium, the stellate reticulum, and the outer enamel epithelium; the enamel organ assumes a bell shape. (05 Mar 2000) |
| syndrome, martin-bell | Better known as the fragile X syndrome, the most common heritable form of mental retardation. Fragile x syndrome is due to mutation (changes) at the fragile x site and so perforce is x-linked (carried on the x chromosome). Although it is usually more severe in males than females, the syndrome is due to a dynamic mutation (a trinucleotide repeat) that can change in length and hence in severity from generation to generation, from person to person, and even within a given person. The fragile x syndrome is known as the martin-bell syndrome in honor of their discovery of it in 1943. (12 Dec 1998) |
| external respiratory nerve of Bell | <anatomy, nerve> Arises from the fifth, sixth, and seventh cervical nerves (roots of brachial plexus), descends the neck behind the brachial plexus, and is distributed to the serratus anterior muscle; it is somewhat unusual in that it courses on the superficial aspect of the muscle is supplies; its paralysis results in "winged scapula". Synonym: nervus thoracicus longus, Bell's respiratory nerve, external respiratory nerve of Bell, posterior thoracic nerve. (05 Mar 2000) |
| abdominal external oblique muscle | <anatomy, muscle> Origin, fifth to twelfth ribs; insertion, anterior half of lateral lip of iliac crest, inguinal ligament, and anterior layer of the rectus sheath; action, diminishes capacity of abdomen, draws thorax downward; nerve supply, thoracoabdominal nerves. Synonym: musculus obliquus externus abdominis, abdominal external oblique muscle. (05 Mar 2000) |
| abdominal internal oblique muscle | <anatomy, muscle> Origin, iliac fascia deep to lateral part of inguinal ligament, anterior half of crest of ilium, and lumbar fascia; insertion, tenth to twelfth ribs and sheath of rectus; some of the fibres from inguinal ligament terminate in the conjoint tendon; action, diminishes capacity of abdomen, flexes lumbar vertebral column (bends thorax forward); nerve supply, lower thoracic. Synonym: musculus obliquus internus abdominis, abdominal internal oblique muscle. (05 Mar 2000) |
| abdominal muscle deficiency syndrome | <syndrome> Congenital absence (partial or complete) of abdominal muscles, in which the outline of the intestines is visible through the protruding abdominal wall; in males, genitourinary anomalies (urinary tract dilation and cryptorchidism) are also found; genetics unclear. (05 Mar 2000) |
| abductor digiti minimi muscle of foot | Origin, lateral and medial processes of calcanean tuberosity; insertion, lateral side of proximal phalanx of fifth toe; action, abducts and flexes little toe; nerve supply, lateral plantar nerve. Synonym: musculus abductor digiti minimi pedis, abductor muscle of little toe, musculus abductor digiti quinti. (05 Mar 2000) |
| abductor digiti minimi muscle of hand | Origin, pisiform bone and pisohamate ligament; insertion, medial side of base of proximal phalanx of the little finger; action, abducts and flexes little finger; nerve supply, ulnar. Synonym: musculus abductor digiti minimi manus, abductor muscle of little finger, musculus abductor digiti quinti. (05 Mar 2000) |
| abductor muscle | <anatomy> Any muscle used to pull a body part away from the midline of the body. For example, the abductor leg muscles serve to spread the legs. The opposite of abductor is adductor. (12 Dec 1998) |
| abductor muscle of great toe | <anatomy, muscle> Origin, medial process of calcaneal tuberosity, flexor retinaculum, and plantar aponeurosis; insertion, medial side of proximal phalanx of great toe; action, abducts great toe; nerve supply, medial plantar. Synonym: musculus abductor hallucis, abductor muscle of great toe. (05 Mar 2000) |