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Hypothalamus
Hypothalamus The portion of the brain's limbic system that integrates incoming information, and either increases or decreases the release of certain hormones that instruct the pituitary gland to release hormones.
RELATED TERMS--------------------------------------
Hormones
Biological compounds that communicate information at a distance. Hormones require specific receptors to begin their biological action and use second messengers to initiate the cellular process that uses that information.
Pituitary
The gland from which a number of hormones are released into the bloodstream. These hormones include growth hormone, ACTH, B-lipocortin (the precursor to B-endorphorin), FSH, LH, and TSH.
Gland
An organ that releases a chemical. Endocrine glands are ductless and secrete hormones directly into the bloodstream. Exocrine glands secrete externally, either through a tube or duct.
SIMILAR TERMS--------------------------------------
Hypodermic
Beneath the skin.
Hypoglicemia
A condition in which the blood sugar is lower than normal.
Hypoglycemia
Low levels of blood sugar.
Hypoglycemia Unawareness
A situation in which the usual epinephrine-induced symptoms of a fall in blood sugar are, for a variety of reasons, either not felt or not recognized. |This situation may be dangerous, as the patient may go from functioning normally to unconscious within a short time. It is generally thought that if such a patient is allowed to maintain somewhat elevated blood sugar levels for several weeks, that the hypoglycemic unawareness may resolve.
Hypoparathyroidism
Parathyroid hormone insufficiency due to lack of secretion of the parathyroid gland.
Hypophilia
A condition or syndrome, variable in etiology and diagnosis, of being sexuoerotically substandard or deficient, particularly with respect to some aspect of genital functioning at the acceptive phase; impaired or deficient in sexual and genital responsiveness or frequency. The condition of being subnormal in sexual and genital responsiveness or frequency.
Hypophosphataemic rickets
X-linked, vitamin D-resistant. May resemble ankylosing spondylitis.
Hypophosphatasia
Rare autosomal recessive cause of rickets. Associated with a lack of alkaline phosphatase.
Hypophysis
Pituitary gland.
Hypopituitarism
A generalized endocrine deficiency condition produced by failure, either partial or complete, of the pituitary gland to secrete its proper hormones. Failure after surgery for a pituitary tumor is usually complete. Idiopathic failure may be either complete or partial. In some instances, partial failure may involve chiefly the secretion of pituitary gonadotropins, the hormones that stimulate the ovaries or the testes to produce their own hormones.
Hypoplasia
Underdevelopment of a tissue or organ usually due to a decrease in the number of cells.
Hyposensitisation
See specific allergy vaccination.
Hyposensitization
To treat with frequent, small injections of an antigen to decrease the symptoms of an allergy to that antigen. Also called desensitization.
Hypospadias
A birth defect in the positioning of the urethral (urinary meatus) opening on the penis in males or into the vagina in females. In mild male hypospadias, the opening is only slightly displaced from the tip of the penis. In severe male hypospadias, the opening is in the female position, at the base of the scrotum, and the penis has an open gutter on its underside, instead of a covered urinary canal. A hypospadiac penis may be normal sized or small. 2. A birth defect in the male in which the urinary opening is on the underside of the shaft of the penis anywhere from the glans (first degree) to the perineum (third degree or penoscrotal hypospadias). A small penis with a severe degree of hypospadias is identical in appearance with an enlarged clitoris below which is a single opening or urogenital sinus leading to both the urethra and the vagina. Artificial hypospadias may occur as a sequel to an injury, as in a circumcision accident, or be self-inflicted.
Hypotension
Subnormal arterial blood pressure.
Hypothermia
Low body temperature.
Hypothyroidism
Deficiency of thyroid hormone; the opposite of hyperthyroidism. The thyroid gland is in the throat, near the larynx or Adam's apple.
Hypotonia
Abnormally decreased tonicity, tension or strength; ocular hypotony refers to low intraocular pressure.
Hypotonicity
Diminished muscle tone; limp muscles.
Hypovolemia
A decreased amount of blood in the body.
Hypoxemia
Subnormal oxygenation of arterial blood, short of anoxia.
Hypoxia
Abnormal oxygen content in the organs and tissues of the body.
Hypoxyphilia
Asphyxiophilia [from Latin, hypoxia, oxygen deprivation + -philia].
PREVIOUS AND NEXT TERMS--------------------------------------
High Density Lipoprotein (HDL)
The "good" cholesterol that helps remove cholesterol from cells. If insulin levels go up, then HDL levels go down. The lower your HDL level, the more likely you are to suffer cardiovascular complications.
Hippocampus
The portion of the limbic system in the brain that integrates incoming nerve impulses to the hypothalamus. It is also the memory center of the brain.
Hormones
Biological compounds that communicate information at a distance. Hormones require specific receptors to begin their biological action and use second messengers to initiate the cellular process that uses that information.
Hormone Releasing Factors
Hormones released from the hypothalamus that directly affect the pituitary and initiate the release of other hormones into the bloodstream. Many hormone releasing factors use cyclic AMP as their secondary messengers.
Hyperinsulinemia
The excess production of insulin. This is usually a consequence of insulin resistance in which the cells do not respond to insulin to reduce blood glucose levels.
Hypothalamus
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
A virus that steadily weakens the body's defense (immune) system until it can no longer fight off infections such as pneumonia, diarrhea, tumors and other illnesses. All of which can be part of AIDS (Acquired ImmunoDeficiency Syndrome). Unable to fight back, most people die within three years of the first signs of AIDS appearing. Most of all HIV infections have been transmitted through unprotected sexual intercourse with someone who is already infected with HIV. HIV can also be transmitted by infected blood or blood products (as in blood transfusions).
Hypertension
Higher blood pressure than normal. Diastolic blood pressure from 90 to 99 mm HG is considered mild hypertension; 100–109, moderate hypertension; and 110 or greater, severe hypertension. Systolic blood pressure from 140 to 159 mm HG is considered mild hypertension; 160–179, moderate hypertension; and 180 or greater, severe hypertension.
Hearing impairment
Complete or partial loss of the ability to hear, caused by a variety of injuries or diseases, including congenital causes. Limitations, including difficulties in understanding language or other auditory messages and/or in production of understandable speech, are possible.
Hemiplegia
Paralysis of one side of the body as a result of injury to neurons carrying signals to muscles from the motor areas of the brain.
Hyperopia
Hyperopia (or more rarely, hypermetropia), also known as farsightedness or longsightedness, is a defect of vision caused by an imperfection in the eye (often when the eyeball is too short), causing inability to focus on near objects, and in extreme cases causing a sufferer to be unable to focus on objects at any distance. As an object moves towards the eye, the eye must increase its power to keep the image on the retina.
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