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Equol
Equol A substance produced in the intestine as a metabolite of soybeans and soy foods. Equol is a non-steroidal estrogen that acts as an anti-androgen by blocking the hormone dihydrotestosterone. Some people are able to produce equol while others cannot. Equol is chemically unique among the isoflavones (a family of phytoestrogens, plant estrogens). It is the major metabolite of the phytoestrogen daidzein, an isoflavone abundant in soybeans and soy foods.
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Intestine
The tube involved in digestion and extending from the stomach to the anus. Consists of the small intestine and the large intestine.
Metabolite
In the body, a substance that is produced by the body's own chemistries.
Equol
A substance produced in the intestine as a metabolite of soybeans and soy foods. Equol is a non-steroidal estrogen that acts as an anti-androgen by blocking the hormone dihydrotestosterone. Some people are able to produce equol while others cannot. Equol is chemically unique among the isoflavones (a family of phytoestrogens, plant estrogens). It is the major metabolite of the phytoestrogen daidzein, an isoflavone abundant in soybeans and soy foods.
Estrogen
A hormone produced in the ovaries that works with progesterone to, among other things, regulate the reproductive cycle.
Blocking
A sudden obstruction or interruption in spontaneous flow of thinking or speaking, perceived as an absence or deprivation of thought.
Hormone
A chemical substance formed in the body that is carried in the bloodstream to affect another part of the body; an example is thyroid hormone, produced by the thyroid gland in the neck, which affects growth, temperature regulation, metabolic rate, and other body functions.
Dihydrotestosterone
A powerful androgenic hormone formed from testosterone in peripheral target cells by the action of the enzyme, 5-reductase.
Family
1. A group of individuals related by blood or marriage or by a feeling of closeness. 2. A biological classification of related plants or animals that is a division below the order and above the genus. 3. A group of genes related in structure and in function that descended from an ancestral gene. 4. A group of gene products similarly related in structure and function and of shared genetic descent. 5. Parents and their children. The most fundamental social group in humans.
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EPS
Stands for ElectroPhysiologic Study, a test of the electrical conduction system of the heart (the system that generates the heart beat).
Epsom salt
Magnesium sulfate. Known as Epsom salt because it was originally extracted from the mineral-rich water of Epsom (England).
Epstein-Barr virus
A virus, abbreviated EBV, best known as the cause of infectious mononucleosis ("mono"). Infection with EBV is characterized by fatigue and general malaise. Infection with EBV is fairly common and is usually a transient and minor thing. However, in some individuals EBV can trigger chronic illness, including immune and lymphoproliferative syndromes. It is a particular danger to people with compromised immune systems, such as from AIDS. EBV was at one time believed to be the cause of the chronic fatigue syndrome, but chronic infection with this virus actually produces a separate (if similar) disorder.
EPT
Estrogen/progestin therapy.
Equinophobia
An abnormal and persistent fear of horses. Sufferers of equinophobia experience undue anxiety even when a horse is known to be gentle and well trained. They usually avoid horses entirely rather than risk being kicked, bitten or thrown. They may also fear other hoofed animals such as ponies, donkeys and mules.
Equol
ER
1. Emergency room. 2. Endoplasmic reticulum. 3. Estrogen receptor. 4. Extended release.
Erb palsy
A form of brachial plexus palsy in which there is paralysis of the muscles of the upper arm and shoulder girdle due to an injury to the roots of fifth and sixth cervical roots or the upper part of the brachial plexus, a network of spinal nerves that originates in the back of the neck, extends through the axilla (armpit), and gives rise to nerves to the upper limb. The brachial plexus is formed by the union of portions of the fifth through eighth cervical nerves and the first thoracic nerve, all of which come from the spinal cord. In Erb palsy, the arm is internally rotated and hangs limply at the side.
ERCP
Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography.
Erection, penile
When the penis fills with blood and is rigid. The penis contains two chambers, called the corpora cavernosa, which run the length of the organ, are filled with spongy tissue, and surrounded by a membrane, called the tunica albuginea. The spongy tissue contains smooth muscles, fibrous tissues, spaces, veins, and arteries. The urethra, which is the channel for urine and ejaculate, runs along the underside of the corpora cavernosa. Erection begins with sensory and mental stimulation. Impulses from the brain and local nerves cause the muscles of the corpora cavernosa to relax, allowing blood to flow in and fill the open spaces. The blood creates pressure in the corpora cavernosa, making the penis expand. The tunica albuginea helps to trap the blood in the corpora cavernosa, thereby sustaining erection. Erection is reversed when muscles in the penis contract, stopping the inflow of blood and opening outflow channels.
ERG
Electroretinography.
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