| LABIA: |
Lips; commonly refers to the lips of the femal external
genitalia. |
| LABOR: |
Periodic rhythmical contraction of the uterus which opens the cervix
and leads to the birth of a baby. |
| LABYRINTH: |
Portion of the inner ear responsible for balance. |
| LACRIMAL GLAND: |
Gland of the eye that secretes tears. |
| LACUNAE: |
Small pits or depression in an organ or tissue. |
| LAMINA: |
Flattened part of the vertebral arch, the ring of bone which, with
the vertebral body, surrounds and encloses the spinal cord within that
segment of the vertebral column. |
| LAMINECTOMY: |
Surgical removal of the lamina of a vertebra. |
| LAMINOTOMY: |
Surgical shaving of bone from the lamina of a vertebra. |
| LANUGO: |
Fine, downy hair appearing on the skin of a fetus. |
| LARYNGEAL: |
Pertaining to the larynx. |
| LARYNGEAL WEBBING: |
When a membrane grows between the true vocal cords. It's presence results
in a voice disorder that not only affects phonation, but can cause a blockage
of the airway. These people experience shortness of breath and a higher-pitched
than usual voice with some hoarseness. These webs must be surgically removed,
followed by subsequent voice therapy. |
| LARYNX: |
The portion of the throat that contains the vocal mechanism. |
| LATERAL: |
The side of the body or body part that is farther from the middle or
center (median) of the body. Typically, lateral refers to the outer side
of the body part, but it is also used to refer to the side of a body part.
For example, when referring to the knee, lateral would mean the side of
the knee that is farthest from the opposite knee. The opposite of lateral
is medial. |
| LEFT VENTRICLE: |
The largest and most muscular chamber of the heart concerned with the
pumping of oxygen-rich blood from the lungs (via the left atrium) to all
the other tissues of the body, via the aorta. |
| LENS: |
The clear structure in the eye that focuses light rays on the retina. |
| LEPTOMENINGES: |
The pia mater (highly vascular membrane) and arachnoid mater (spider-like
membrane) of the brain. |
| LESION: |
Injury or loss of function. |
| LESSER CURVE: |
The right side of the stomach from the cardia (entrance at the end
of the esophagus or gullet) to the pylorus (exit into the duodenum or beginning
of the small bowel). |
| LEUCO-/LEUKO-: |
Prefix meaning white. |
| LIGAMENT: |
Thick band of fibrous tissue connecting bones and joints. |
| LIP PURSING: |
A purse-string positioning of the lips and cheeks; the cheeks and lip
corners are slightly retracted for abnormal stability while the central
portions of the lips are semi-protruded and appear to be puckering. |
| LIPID: |
Descriptive term for a fat or fat-like substance found in the blood,
such as cholesterol. The body stores fat as energy for future use just
like a car that has a reserve fuel tank. When the body needs energy, it
can break down the lipids into fatty acids and burn them like glucose (sugar). |
| LIVER: |
A large organ in the upper abdomen that is the site of many metabolic
functions, including the secretion of bile, the manufacture of proteins,
and the storage of glycogen and certain vitamins. |
| LOBE: |
1. A subdivision of an organ, divided by fissures, connective tissue
or other natural boundaries.
2. A rounded projecting portion, such as the lobe of the ear. |
| LOCU CERULEUS: |
An area of the brain involved in attention. |
| LORDOSIS: |
Exaggerated forward curvature of the lower spine causing swayback. |
| LOW BIRTH WEIGHT: |
A term applied to babies that weigh 5 1/2 pounds (2,500 grams) or less
at birth. Low birth weight infants are of two different types: those who
are born too small because they are born to soon, and those who are born
on time, but are too small for their gestational age. |
| LOW FORCEPS DELIVERY: |
Childbirth using obstetric forceps applied to the head of the fetus
after it has descended into the lower vagina. |
| LUMBAR: |
Pertaining to the lower back. |
| LUMEN: |
The channel within a tubular structure. |
| LUNGS: |
The two organs of respiration that bring air and blood into close contact
so that oxygen can be added to and carbon dioxide removed from the blood. |
| LYSOSOMES: |
Intracellular particles particularly abundant in the liver and kidney. |
