Medical and Healthy Living Glossary - U
This page of our online glossary of medical and healthy living is for medical and healthy living terms beginning with the letter 'U'.
- Ulcer - An open sore in the skin or in a mucous membrane, which is inflamed and
difficult to heal. Stomach ulcers are quite common.
- Universal Donor - A person with blood group O, whose blood can be given to anyone.
- Universal Recipient - A person with blood group AB who can receive blood from all the other blood groups.
- Unsaturated Fat - Fat which does not have a large amount of hydrogen, and therefore can be broken down more easily.
- Uraemia (Uremia) - A disorder which is caused by kidney failure, where urea is retained in the blood, and the person develops nausea, convulsions and in severe cases can go into a coma.
- Urea - A substance which is produced in the liver from excess amino acids, and excreted by the kidneys into the urine.
- Uric Acid - A waste substance, containing nitrogen, produced as a result of the breakdown of protein. Normally, uric acid is excreted in the urine, but some people have an inherited inability to eliminate it, and so high levels build up in the blood and are deposited as crystallised salts (urates), which can cause gout.
- Urinary System - A system of organs and ducts which separate waste liquids from the blood and excrete them as urine. The urinary system includes the kidneys, bladder, ureters and urethra.
|
