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Medical Dictionary - Letter: k

Term	Definition	Pronunciation
K	potassium
kal/i	potassium
kary/o	nucleus
kel/o	tumor, fibrous growth
keloid	An overgrowth of scar tissue that develops around a wound	ke´loid
kelp	A type of seaweed.
ken/o	empty
kerat/o	cornea, horny, hard
keratin	A family of fibrous proteins that are principle constituents of epidermis; hair; nails; horny tissues, and tooth enamel.
keratitis	Inflammation of the cornea	ker″ah-ti´tis
keratoconjunctivitis	Inflammation of the cornea and conjunctiva.
keratoconus	A conical protrusion of the central part of the cornea.
keratosis	Any horny growth of the skin such as a wart or callus.
ketonuria	Presence of ketone bodies in urine.
ketosis	Abnormally high concentration of ketone bodies, as in diabetes mellitus.
kg	kilogram
kidney	One of a pair of organs that filter blood for the secretion of urine and that regulates ion concentrations.
kilo-	one thousand
kilogram	Unit of mass equal to one thousand grams.
kinesi/o	movement
kinesics	The study of body position motion in communication.
kinesis	Movement of an organism in response to a stimulus
kinetics	The study of the interrelationships that exist between body parts and how those connections influence movement.
klept/o	to steal
kleptomania	An abnormal, strong impulse to steal.
km	kilometer
knee	The joint between inferior femur and superior
koil/o	hollow, concave
koilonychia	A disease of the fingernails, where they become thin and concave.	koi″lo-nik´e-ah
kraur/o	dry
KS	Kaposi sarcoma
KUB	kidney, ureter, and bladder
kv	kilovolt
KVO	keep vein open
kym/o	waves
kyph/o	bent, hump
kyphosis	Deformities of the spine characterized by an exaggerated convexity of the vertebral column. Sometimes called round back or hunchback.	ki-fo´sis