Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Glossary
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family medical history a record that includes major
illnesses and surgeries of a patient’s close relatives,
including parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles,
and siblings
fascicle a bundle of structures, such as nerve or
muscle fi bers
FAST (Face, Arm, Speech, Time) a mnemonic that
can be used to identify a stroke
Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) a
government act that established a tax to fund Social
Security
Federal Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act a
government act that requires healthcare facilities to
use needles specially engineered for safer injections
and blood draws
federal withholding tax a tax on personal income
feedback the response of an audience to a message
feedback loop the factor of a system that involves
responses to the functions that are used to keep the
system going
fellowship highly specialized program or
subspecialty, such as endocrinology or pediatric
cardiology, that requires even more training than
other fi elds
fermentor a machine that maintains optimal
conditions for the growth of microorganisms and
is used to produce drugs or enzymes for use in the
biotechnology industry
fertilization a process that occurs when the
chromosomes of the ovum and sperm unite to
produce a zygote
fetus a developing human from eight weeks after
conception to birth
fi ltration the process of separating substances, such
as solid from liquid, large from small, or impure
from pure
fi re triangle term that describes the three elements of
a fi re, which include oxygen, fuel, and a heat source
fi rst aid emergency treatment given before regular
medical services can be obtained
fl at bone a thin bone that is effective as a protective
shell
fl exion an action that moves a ventral surface toward
a ventral surface, decreasing the angle of the joint
fl uid balance term for a state in which the amount of
fl uid taken into the body equals the amount of fl uid
that leaves the body
fomites contaminated objects
fontanel the soft spot on an infant’s head where the
bones have not grown together yet
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) a government
agency that regulates products in the food and drug
industries and develops nutrition facts labels to help
consumers make informed food choices
foramen an opening or hole, especially in a bone
forebrain the largest part of the brain, which
includes the cerebrum, basal ganglia, and limbic
system
forensic DNA analyst a person who works in a
crime lab to extract and match DNA from samples
that are used as evidence to solve crimes
Fowler’s an inclined position in which the patient’s
body is elevated at 45 degrees
fracture a break
frontal lobes lobes of the brain that are located at the
forehead and are responsible for voluntary muscle
control, thinking, memory, language, judgment,
creativity, and personality
frontal plane the body plane that divides the body (or
organ) into its front and back sections; also called
the coronal plane
functional nursing a care model in which each nurse
is responsible for completing a set of assigned tasks
for every patient or resident
fungi parasitic microbes that live in soil and on plants
G
gallbladder the organ that stores bile and delivers it
to the duodenum when needed
gametes reproductive cells that have half the
normal number of chromosomes and unite during
fertilization; sperm in males and ova in females
ganglion a swelling located between two neurons
gene term for a combination of DNA found on
the 46 chromosomes inside each human cell
that determine the unique genetic makeup of an
individual and carry the code for building human
cells, tissues, and organs
gene therapy insertion of a new gene to replace an
abnormal or defective gene
generic drug a medication that is chemically
identical to a brand-name product and meets the
same standards for quality and performance, but is
usually less expensive
genetic counselors people who meet with clients
to gather medical information and help them
understand genetic disorders
genetic discrimination the use of genetic information
by employers and insurance companies to deny
employment or insurance coverage or to treat
individuals differently because of a genetic condition
genetic disorder a disease or condition that results
from damaged, incorrectly located, or abnormal
genes
genetic engineering the deliberate manipulation of
genetic materials to eliminate harmful traits or to
ensure the presence of desirable traits
Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act
(GINA) a federal law that protects employees
from discrimination based on genetic information
geneticists medical scientists who study genes,
heredity, and the variation of organisms
genetic test the examination of a person’s cells to
analyze his or her genes and identify possible
genetic disorders