Medicine Word Today

Vitamin C: An essential nutrient found mainly in fruits and vegetables. The body requires vitamin C to form and maintain bones, blood vessels, and skin. Like other vitamins, vitamin C is an organic compound. An organic compound is a substance that (1) occurs in living things, or organisms (hence, the word "organic") and (2) contains the elements carbon and oxygen (hence, the word "compound," meaning combination of elements). Vitamin C is also known as ascorbic acid.

Deficiency, protein C: Protein C is a protein in plasma that enters into the cascade of biochemical events leading to the formation of a clot. Deficiency of protein C results in thrombotic (clotting) disease.

Our Hepatitis C Main Article provides a comprehensive look at the who, what, when and how of Hepatitis C Hepatitis C: Inflammation of the liver due to the hepatitis C virus (HCV), which is usually spread by blood transfusion, hemodialysis, and n...

C peptide: See: C-peptide.

Cystatin C: A serum protein that is filtered out of the blood by the kidneys and that serves as a measure of kidney function. Cystatin C is produced steadily by all types of nucleated cells in the body. Its low molecular mass allows it to be freely fil...

GB virus C: A virus first identified in 1995 that is genetically related to the hepatitis C virus but which does not cause hepatitis and, in fact, is not known to be responsible for any disease. Infection with GB virus C (GBV-C) is beneficial to HI...

Ultraviolet C: One of the three types of invisible light rays (together with ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B) given off by the sun. Although ultraviolet C is the most dangerous type of ultraviolet light in terms of its potential to harm life on eart...

D and C: Stands for dilatation and curettage. This is a very common gynecologic procedure in which the cervix of the uterus is expanded (dilated) so the cervical canal and endometrium (the uterine lining) can be scraped off with a spoon-shaped ins...

C (cytosine): C stands for cytosine, a DNA nucleotide that which is one member of the base pair in DNA consisting of guanine and cytosine. This base pair is conventionally abbreviated G-C (or GC). The other base pair in DNA is adenine and thymine whi...

D & C: Dilatation and curettage, a minor operation in which the cervix is expanded enough (dilatation) to permit the cervical canal and uterine lining to be scraped with a spoon-shaped instrument called a curette (curettage).

Hepatitis C PCR: See: HCV PCR. Common Misspellings: hepititis c pcr, hepatitus c pcr, hepetitis c pcr, hapatitis c pcr

Protein C: A vitamin K-dependent protein in plasma that enters into the cascade of biochemical events leading to the formation of a clot.Common Misspellings: protien c

Protein C deficiency: Protein C is a protein in plasma that enters into the cascade of biochemical events leading to the formation of a clot. Deficiency of protein C results in thrombotic (clotting) disease and excess platelets with recurrent thromb...

Hepatitis C virus: A single-stranded RNA virus in the Flaviviridae family that causes hepatitis C. Abbreviated HCV. The HCV genome contains some 10,000 nucleotides and encodes a single polyprotein of 3,000 amino acids. HCV was discovered in 1989. Befor...

Niemann-Pick disease type C: Abbreviated NPC. A type of Niemann-Pick disease inherited in an autosomal recessive manner, resulting in lipid storage in the brain and body. At the cellular level, the disorder is characterized by the accumulation of chole...