S Glossary

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safe sex - Sex in a monogamous relationship where neither party is infected with a sexually transmitted disease or urinary tract infection is considered to be "safe." However, many healthcare professionals believe there really is no such thing as "safe" sex and the only way to be truly safe is to abstain because all forms of sexual contact carry some risk.

saliva - A mixture of water, protein, and salts that makes food easy to swallow and begins digestion.

salmonella - A bacterium that may cause intestinal infection and diarrhea. See also gastroenteritis.

salpingectomy - Surgical removal of a fallopian tube.

sarcoidosis - A condition that causes small, fleshy swellings in the liver, lungs, and spleen.

saturated fat - Fat that is found in foods from animal meats and skin, dairy products and some vegetables.

Schatzki's Ring - See lower esophageal ring.

scintigraphy - See radionuclide scans.

sclerotherapy - A method of stopping upper GI bleeding. A needle is inserted through an endoscope to bring hardening agents to the place that is bleeding.

scoliosis - The condition of side-to-side spinal curvature.

secretin - A hormone made in the duodenum. Causes the stomach to make pepsin, the liver to make bile, and the pancreas to make a digestive juice.

segmentation - The process by which muscles in the intestines move food and wastes through the body.

sensors - A device, such as a photoelectric cell, that receives and responds to a signal or stimulus.

septal defect - A hole in the wall of the heart.

septum - The muscle wall that divides the heart chambers.

serotonin - A chemical necessary for communication between nerve cells.

shigellosis - Infection with the bacterium Shigella, usually causing a high fever, acute diarrhea, and dehydration. See also gastroenteritis.

shock - Impaired body function due to blood loss or a disturbance in the circulatory system.

short bowel syndrome - Problems related to absorbing nutrients after removal of part of the small intestine. Symptoms include diarrhea, weakness, and weight loss. Also called short gut syndrome.

short gut syndrome - See short bowel syndrome.

shunt - A connector to allow blood flow between two locations.

shwachman's syndrome - A digestive and respiratory disorder of children. Certain digestive enzymes are missing and white blood cells are few. Symptoms may include diarrhea and short stature.

sialorrhea - Drooling.

silent ischemia - Ischemia not accompanied by chest pain.

sigmoid colon - The lower part of the colon that empties into the rectum.

sigmoidoscopy - Looking into the sigmoid colon and rectum with a flexible or rigid tube, called a sigmoidoscope.

SIL (squamous intraepithelial lesion) - Like CIN, SIL is a term used to classify the degree of precancerous change in cells of the cervix in a condition called cervical dysplasia.

sinus (paranasal sinuses) - Air cavities within the facial bones, lined by mucous membranes similar to those in other parts of the airways.

sinus node - The cells that produce the electrical impulses that cause the heart to contract.

sinusitis - Inflammation of the membranes lining the facial sinuses, often caused by bacterial or viral infection, or allergic reaction.

sitz bath - A special plastic tub. A person sits in a few inches of warm water to help relieve discomfort of hemorrhoids or anal fissures.

small bowel enema - X-rays of the small intestine taken as barium liquid passes through the organ. Also called small bowel follow-through. See also lower GI series.

small intestine - Organ where most digestion occurs. It measures about 20 feet and includes the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum.

soft-tissue - Generally, the ligaments, tendons, and muscles in the musculoskeletal system.

social workers - Persons performing organized work intended to advance the social conditions of a community, and especially of the disadvantaged, by providing psychological counseling, guidance, and assistance, especially in the form of social services.

soma-tostatin - A chemical necessary for communication between nerve cells.

somatosensory - Refers to sensory signals from all tissues of the body including skin, viscera, muscles, and joints.

somatostatin - A hormone in the pancreas that helps tell the body when to make the hormones insulin, glucagon, gastrin, secretin, and renin.

spasm - A condition in which a muscle or group of muscles involuntarily contract.

spastic colon - See irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

SPECT (single-photon emission computed tomography) - In nuclear medicine, it provides 3-D computer-reconstructed images of multiple views of the region of interest.

spectroscopy - The science of measuring the emission and absorption of different wavelengths (spectra) of visible and non-visible light, this can be done via a spectroscope, which consists of a slit, prism, collimator lens, object lens, and a grating.

sphygmomanometer - The instrument used to measure blood pressure.

sphincter - A ring-like band of muscle that opens and closes an opening in the body. An example is the muscle between the esophagus and the stomach known as the lower esophageal sphincter.

sphincter of Oddi - The muscle between the common bile duct and pancreatic ducts.

spinal anesthesia - Injection of an anesthetic into the area around the spinal cord to block pain sensation during surgery.

spine - A column in the body consisting of 33 vertebrae.

spleen - The organ that cleans blood and makes white blood cells.

splenic flexure syndrome - A condition that occurs when air or gas collects in the upper parts of the colon. Causes pain in the upper left abdomen. The pain often moves to the left chest and may be confused with heart problems.

spondylosis - A degenerative process of the cervical spine that causes narrowing of the spinal canal and neural foramina, and produces compression of the spinal cord and nerve roots.

sprain - A partial or complete tear of a ligament.

squamous cell cancer - A slow-growing cancer in cells in the top layer of the skin.

squamous epithelium - Tissue in an organ such as the esophagus. Consists of layers of flat, scaly cells.

stethoscope - The instrument used to listen to the heart and other sounds in the body.

strain - A partial or complete tear of a muscle or tendon.

streptokinase - A clot-dissolving medication.

stroke - The sudden disruption of blood flow to the brain.

staging - An evaluation of the extent of disease that provides the basis for making treatment recommendations.

STD (sexually transmitted disease) - Infection spread through sexual intercourse and other intimate sexual contact.

steatorrhea - A condition in which the body cannot absorb fat. Causes a buildup of fat in the stool and loose, greasy, and foul bowel movements.

steatosis - See fatty liver.

stem cell - An unspecialized cell that gives rise to a specific specialized cell, such as a blood cell.

stenosis - The narrowing or constriction of a blood vessel or valve in the heart.

stent - A device implanted in a vessel used to help keep it open.

sternum - The breastbone.

stoma - An opening in the abdomen that is created by an operation (ostomy). Must be covered at all times by a bag that collects stool.

stomach - The organ between the esophagus and the small intestine. The stomach is where digestion of protein begins.

stool - The solid wastes that pass through the rectum as bowel movements. Stools are undigested foods, bacteria, mucus, and dead cells. Also called feces.

stress - Mental or physical tension that results from physical, emotional, or chemical causes.

stress fractures - A bone injury caused by overuse.

stress incontinence - Involuntary leaking of urine during activities that increase pressure inside the abdomen, such as coughing, sneezing, or jogging.

stress ulcer - An upper GI ulcer from physical injury such as surgery, major burns, or critical head injury.

striatum - Part of the basal ganglia, it is a large cluster of nerve cells, consisting of the caudate nucleus and the putamen, that controls movement, balance, and walking; the neurons of the striatum require dopamine to function.

stricture - The abnormal narrowing of a body opening. Also called stenosis. See also esophageal stricture and pyloric stenosis.

stroke - Also called a "brain attack," happens when brain cells die because of inadequate blood flow.

subarachnoid hemorrhage - A brain attack that occurs when a blood vessel on the surface of the brain ruptures and bleeds into the space between the brain and the skull (but not into the brain itself).

substantia nigra - A small area of the brain containing a cluster of black-pigmented nerve cells that produce dopamine which is then transmitted to the striatum.

sudden death - Death that occurs unexpectedly or immediately after onset of symptoms.

superior vena cava - The large vein that returns blood to the heart from the head and arms.

sustention (postural) tremor - A tremor of a limb that increases when the limb is stretched.

synovitis - Inflammation of the synovial membrane, the tissue that lines and protects the joint.

synovium - A fibrous envelope that produces a fluid to help to reduce friction and wear in a joint.

systemic - Disease or symptoms that affect many different parts of the body.

systolic blood pressure - The highest blood pressure measured in the arteries.

synapse - A tiny gap between the ends of nerve fibers across which nerve impulses pass from one neuron to another; at the synapse, an impulse causes the release of a neurotransmitter, which diffuses across the gap and triggers an electrical impulse in the next neuron.

syncope - Light-headedness or fainting caused by insufficient blood supply to the brain.

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