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Medical Dictionary - Letter: f

Term	Definition	Pronunciation
F	Fahrenheit
faci/o	face
-facient	to cause
factitious disorder	Conditions in which a person deliberately and consciously acts as if he or she has a physical or mental illness when he or she is not really sick. Known as Munchausen Syndrome.	fak-tish´us
fallopian tubes	A pair of highly specialized muscular canals that conduct the ovum from the ovary to the uterus.
fasci/o	fascia (layer of fibrous tissue)
fascia	Layers of connective tissue enveloping, separating, or binding together muscles, organs, and other soft structures of the body.
fasciitis	Inflammation of the fascia, which is the connective tissue surrounding muscles, blood vessels and nerves.	fas″e-i´tis
fastigium	The period of greatest intensity
fat	A substance that stores energy in the body and serves as an insulating material. One of the three primary constituents of food.
fatigue	Tiredness following mental or physical exertion.
FBS	fasting blood sugar
FDA	(U.S.) Food and Drug Administration
Fe	iron
febr/i	fever
febricula	Mild or short-lived.
feces	Excrement from the intestines, containing unabsorbed solids, waste products, secretions, and bacteria.
FEF	forced expiratory flow
feline	Belonging or pertaining to the cat family
femininity	Female-associated sex-specific social roles and behaviors unrelated to biologic function.
femor/o	femoral (thigh bone)
femoral	Pertaining to the thigh or femur.
femur	The longest and largest bone of the skeleton, it is situated between the hip and the knee.
fenestra	A small opening or transparent spot.
ferr-	iron
fertilization	The fusion of a spermatozoon with an ovum thus resulting in the formation of a zygote.
fet/o	fetus
fetal	Of, pertaining to, or having the character of a fetus.
fetus	The embryo of a mammal in the later stages of development
FEV	forced expiratory volume
fever	An abnormal elevation of body temperature, usually as a result of a pathologic process.
FFP	fresh frozen plasma
FHR	fetal heart rate
FHT	family history
fibr/o	fiber
fibrillation	A rapid twitching of muscle fibers, particularly of the heart, caused by the abnormal electrical impulses.
fibrin	An insoluble protein end product of blood coagulation, formed from fibrinogen by the action of thrombin.
fibrinogen	A blood plasma protein produced by the liver. It is one of many coagulation factors responsible for normal blood clotting.	fi-brin´o-jen
fibroadenoma	Benign tumors composed of stromal and epithelial tissue.	fi″bro-ad″ĕ-no´mah
fibrocystic breast disease	A painful, lumpy breast disease.	fi″bro-sis´tik
fibroid	A benign tumor containing fibrous tissue, particularly in the uterus.
fibroma	A benign tumor consisting of fibrous tissue.
fibromyalgia	A common, chronic disorder characterized by widespread pain, diffuse tenderness, chronic fatigue, and other symptoms.	fī'brō-mī-al'jē-ă
fibrosarcoma	A form of malignant tumor derived from fibrous connective tissue
fibrosis	Any pathological condition where fibrous connective tissue invades any organ, usually as a consequence of inflammation or other injury.
fil/o	thread
FISH	fluorescence in situ hybridization
fiss-	split
fissure	A slit, cleft or deep furrow; a small tear.	fish´er
fistula	An abnormal connection between two body parts.	fis´tu-lah
fl oz	fluid ounce
flatulence	Production of gas in the gastrointestinal tract which may be expelled through the anus.
flav/o	yellow
Fld	fluid
flex/o	bend
flexion	The act of bending a limb or the position that a limb assumes after it is bent.
flexor	Any muscle that causes a limb to bend.
floater	A speck or string that appears to be drifting across the eye just outside the line of vision.
fluctuation	A wavelike motion. A variation.
fluor/o	fluorine, fluoride
fluorescein angiography	An eye test that uses a special dye and camera to look at blood flow in the retina and choroid.	floo͡-res´ēn
fluorescence	The property of emitting radiation while being irradiated.
fluoridation	Practice of adding fluoride to water for the purpose of preventing tooth decay and cavities.
flush	A transient reddening of the face. A blush.
focus	The point at which rays of line converge after passing through a lens.
follicle	A small secreting gland, sac or cavity.
follicle-stimulating hormone	A hormone released by the pituitary gland. It regulates the development, maturation and reproductive processes of the body.
follicul/o	follicle (small cavity)
folliculitis	An infection in the hair follicles.	fŏ-lik″u-li´tis
foot	The distal extremity of the leg, consisting of the tarsus, metatarsus, phalanges and the soft tissues surrounding the bones.
forceps	An instrument for compressing or grasping tissues.
fore-	before, in front
forearm	Part of the arm in humans extending from the elbow to the wrist.
forehead	The part of the face above the eyes.
-form	form, shape of
formication	A strange sensation of ants crawling on the skin.
formulary	A list of pharmaceutical substances along with their formulas, uses, and methods of preparation. Also, an official list of drugs approved for prescription or administration to patients of a hospital or health maintenance organization
fourier analysis	Use of the Fourier transform, a mathematical technique for describing fluctuating patterns in the physical world in terms of frequencies.
FP	family practice
fract-	break
fractals	Patterns (real or mathematical) which look similar at different scales.
freeze drying	Method of preparing a tissue specimen by freezing and then dehydrating in a high vacuum.
frig/o	cold
FROM	full range of motion
frontal bone	The bone that forms the frontal aspect of the skull.
frontal coronal plane	Separates the body's anterior and posterior
frontal lobe	The part of the cerebral hemisphere anterior to the central sulcus, and anterior and superior to the lateral sulcus.
FSH	follicle-stimulating hormone
FTND	full term normal delivery
FTT	failure to thrive
funct/o	performance
fundus	The base of an organ.
fungicide	An agent that kills or inhibits the growth of fungi.
FUO	fever of unknown origin
furuncles	A boil, which are bacterial or fungal infections of hair follicles.	fŭr-ŭng'kĕlz
fusion	The merging of adjacent parts.
FVC	forced vital capacity
Fx	fracture