Medical Glossary Index:

F

Facial palsy- inability to move the muscles of the face, usually on only one side, due to inflammation of a nerve

Failure to thrive- describes a baby who grows and gains weight slower than expected

Fallopian tube- either of two long, slender ducts connecting a woman's uterus
to her ovaries, where eggs are transported from the ovaries to the uterus and sperm
may fertilize an egg

Familial- a term describing a disorder or characteristic (such as male pattern baldness) that occurs within a family more often than would be expected

Fasciitis- inflammation of the layer of connective tissue that covers, separates,
and supports muscles

Fatty acid- any of a number of carbon-, oxygen-, and hydrogen-containing molecules that make up fats 

Febrile- a term used to describe something related to a fever, such as febrile seizures (seizures occurring in a child who has a fever)

Fecal occult blood test- a test that uses a piece of chemically sensitive paper to detect blood in a stool sample; used to screen for possible signs of cancer in the
large intestine or rectum

Femoral artery- the main artery that supplies blood to the leg

Femur- the bone located between the hip and the knee; the thighbone

Fertility- the ability to produce a child

Fertility drug- a drug used to treat infertility that contains hormones or s
ubstances associated with hormones

Fertilization- the joining of an egg and a sperm, creating the first cell of a new
life

Fetal alcohol syndrome- a combination of defects in a fetus as a result of the mother drinking alcohol during pregnancy

Fetal distress- physical distress experiencd by a fetus because of lack of 
oxygen

Fetal monitoring- the use of an instrument to record or listen to a fetus'
heartbeat during pregnancy and labor

Fetal tissue transplant- an experimental procedure in which cells are taken
from an aborted fetus and placed into the brain of a person with a brain disease such as Parkinson's

Fetus- the term used to refer to an unborn child from 8 weeks after fertilization
to birth

Fiber- a constituent of plants that cannot be digested, which helps maintain
healthy functioning of the bowels

Fiberoptics- thin, flexible instruments that transmit light and images, allowing structures inside of the body to be viewed

Fibrillation- rapid, inefficient contraction of muscle fibers of the heart caused by disruption of nerve impulses

Fibroadenoma- a noncancerous tumor commonly found in the breast

Fibrocystic breast disease- the most common cause of breast lumps

Fibroid- a noncancerous tumor of the uterus made up of smooth muscle and connective tissue

Fibroma- a noncancerous tumor of connective tissue

Fibrosis- abnormal formation of connective or scar tissue

Fifth disease- a childhood infection caused by a virus, which often starts as a
rash on the cheeks and spreads

Fissure- a groove or slit on the body or in an organ

Fistula- an abnormal passageway from one organ to another or from an organ to the body surface

Fitness- a measure of a person's physical strength, flexibility, and endurance

Flatulence- excessive air or gas in the intestines, which is expelled through the anus

Floaters- small spots that float across the field of vision, caused by debris floating in the gel-like substance that fills the eye

Flu- see Influenza

Fluke- a parasitic flatworm that can infest humans

Fluoride- a mineral that helps protect teeth against decay

Fluoroscopy- a method used to view organ structure and function by passing X-rays through the body and monitoring the resulting image on a fluorescent screen

Folic acid- a vitamin essential to the production of red blood cells; plays an important role in the growth a developing fetus

Follicle- a tiny pouchlike cavity in a structure of the body, such as a hair follicle

Follicle stimulating hormone- a hormone produced by the pituitary gland in the brain that stimulates the testicles to produce sperm in males and causes eggs to mature in females

Folliculitis- the inflammation of hair follicles due to a bacterial infection, causing boils or tiny blisters containing pus

Fontanelles- the two soft spots on a baby’s scalp that are the result of gaps in
the skull where bones have not yet fused

Food poisoning- stomach pain, diarrhea, and/or vomiting caused by eating contaminated food

Forceps- instruments resembling tweezers that are used to handle objects or
tissue during surgery

Forceps delivery- the use of an instrument that cups the baby's head (called an obstetric forceps), to help deliver a baby

Foreign body- an object in an organ or body cavity that is not normally present

Foreskin- the loose skin that covers the head of the penis

Fracture- a bone break

Fraternal twins- twins that develop from two different eggs fertilized by two different sperm; are not identical

Free radical- see Oxygen free radical

Frostbite- damage to body tissue as a result of freezing

FSH- see Follicle stimulating hormone

Fulminant- describes a disorder that begins suddenly and worsens quickly

Fungus- an organism that is dependent on another organism for nourishment