| congenital virilizing adrenal hyperplasia | A series of inherited inborn errors of metabolism with hyperplasia of the adrenal cortex and overproduction of virilizing hormones. Most common forms are due to partial or complete 21-hydroxylase deficiency, leading to increased ACTH production by the pituitary, stimulating adrenal growth and function. Severe form is characterised by salt-losing state. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| foetal adrenal cortex | An extensive area of the adrenal gland present in primates during foetal life and for a short period after birth; located between the definitive cortex and the medulla, it contains large steroid-secreting cells arranged in a reticular pattern; involution of this zone in humans is largely completed by three months after birth. Synonym: androgenic zone, foetal reticularis, foetal zone, provisional cortex. (05 Mar 2000) |
| adipose capsule | The perirenal fat. Synonym: capsula adiposa renis, adipose capsule. (05 Mar 2000) |
| anterior limb of internal capsule | The portion of the internal capsule between the head of the caudate nucleus and the putamen; it lies anterior to the genu of the internal capsule. Synonym: crus anterius capsulae internae. (05 Mar 2000) |
| articular capsule | A sac enclosing a joint, formed by an outer fibrous articular capsule and an inner synovial membrane. Synonym: capsula articularis, joint capsule. (05 Mar 2000) |
| atrabiliary capsule | See adrenal gland. (12 Dec 1998) |
| auditory capsule | The cartilage that, in the embryo, surrounds the developing auditory vesicle and develops into the bony labyrinth of the inner ear. (05 Mar 2000) |
| bacterial capsule | A layer of slime of variable composition which covers the surface of some bacteria; capsulated cells of pathogenic bacteria are usually more virulent than cells without capsules because the former are more resistant to phagocytic action. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Bonnet's capsule | The anterior part of the vagina bulbi. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Bowman's capsule | The expanded beginning of a nephron composed of an inner and outer layer: the visceral layer consists of podocytes which surround a tuft of capillaries (glomerulus); the parietal layer is simple squamous epithelium which becomes cuboidal at the tubular pole. Synonym: capsula glomeruli, Bowman's capsule, malpighian capsule, Muller's capsule. (05 Mar 2000) |
| capsule | <microbiology> Thick gel like material attached to the wall of gram-positive or gram-negative bacteria, giving colonies a smooth appearance. May contribute to pathogenicity by inhibiting phagocytosis. Mostly composed of very hydrophilic acidic polysaccharide, but considerable diversity exists. <pathology> Cellular response in invertebrate animals to a foreign body too large to be phagocytosed. A multicellular aggregate of haemocytes or coelomocytes isolates the foreign object. In some insects the capsule is apparently acellular and composed of melanin. (08 Oct 1997) |
| capsule cell | One of the cells located around the bodies of the cerebrospinal and sympathetic ganglionic neurons. Synonym: capsule cell. Origin: amphi-+ G. Kytos, cell (05 Mar 2000) |
| capsule forceps | Forceps used for removing the capsule of the lens in extracapsular extraction of a cataract. (05 Mar 2000) |
| radiotelemetering capsule | An instrument that transmits measurements by radio impulses, from within the body; e.g., measurements of pressure from within the small bowel. Synonym: radiopill. (05 Mar 2000) |
| malpighian capsule | A thin fibrous membrane enveloping the spleen and continued over the vessels entering at the hilus. See: glomerular capsule. (05 Mar 2000) |