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| Name |
Description |
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| A23187 |
A calcium ionophore |
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| ABP |
Acute Bacterial Prostatitis. An infection in the prostate gland which causes fever,sever pain in the lower back and genital area and burning, urgent and frequent urination. It is rare and can be treated with antibiotics |
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| ABP |
Androgen binding protein |
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| ABP |
A testis specific protein, synthesized by the Sertoli cells and secreted into the seminiferous tubular fluid. |
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| Abstinence |
No sexual activity |
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| Accuracy |
The extent to which the measured value of a quantity agrees with the accepted value for that quantity. |
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| aCGH |
Microarray-based Comparative Genomic Hybridization |
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| Acini |
Any small saclike component of the gland. |
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| Acrocentric |
Chromosome where the two arms (p & q) are of differing lengths. |
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| Acromegaly |
A syndrome caused by an excessive amount of growth hormone |
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| Acrosin |
Typsin-like enzyme in the acrosome of a sperm head. |
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| Acrosome |
Organelle in the head of sperm containing trypsin like enzymes. |
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| Activation |
The signals sent within the oocyte cell that a sperm has fertilized the oocyte, or in the case of cloning, the molecular mimicry of the sperms activity to initiate development.
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| Activation |
The signals sent within the oocyte cell that a sperm has fertilized the oocyte, or in the case of cloning, the molecular mimicry of the sperm’s activity to initiate development.
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| Activation |
Initiation of embryogenesis by alleviating the
cell cycle arrest at metaphase of the second meiotic division (MII) of
mature mammalian eggs |
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| Activation function |
Mathematical function that determines the output value of the layer or the node. Used to introduce nonlinearity to the neural networks. |
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| Activin |
A glycoprotein hormone secreted by the Leydig cells and stimulates FSH |
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| Adenoma |
A benign epithelial tumor having a glandular origin and structure. |
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| Adenomyosis |
Benign invasive growth of the endometrium into the muscular layer of the uterus. |
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| Adhesion |
In infertility, the sticking of ovaries, tubes, uterus, bowel and abdominal lining to one or more of each other so as to affect fertility. May follow pelvic surgery, tubal infections or endometriosis. |
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| Adhesions |
Fibrous tissue that forms between pelvic organs usually as a result of trauma, inflammation or injury. |
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| Adhesions |
Scar tissue from infection, endometriosis, surgery or bleeding which can distort or cause dysfunction of organs |
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| Adipokines |
Products of adipose secreory activity |
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| Adiponectin |
A protein produced almost exclusively by adipocytes |
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| Adjuvant |
A substance added to a drug to increase or aid its effect. |
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| Adnexum |
Attached to the uterus eg fallopian tubes, ovary. |
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| Adolescence |
The period in development between the onset of puberty and adulthood. |
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| Adrenal |
Latin: AD (near) + RENES (kidney) |
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| Adrenal glands |
Glands that sit on top of the kidneys |
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| AFC |
Antral Follicle Count |
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| Affinity |
Affinity (AH-fin-eh-tee) – The strength of reaction between antibody and antigen at a single antigenic site. |
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| AFP |
A protein found in the bloodstream of some men with testicular cancer |
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| Age of onset |
The age at which phenotypic consequences first appear in an individual with a particular genotype |
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| Agglutination |
The sticking together of large numbers of motile spermatozoa due to the presence of anti-sperm antibodies. |
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| Aggretation |
Clumping of usually dead spermatozoa together with other cells and debris ins semen. |
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| Agonadism |
Consequence of early fetal testicular degeneration |
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| AH |
The partial or complete removal of the zona pellucida by zona drilling or by enzymatic means, the rationale being that this will enhance the ability of a blastocyst to hatch. |
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| AIDS |
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome |
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| AIH |
Artificial Insemination with husbands sperm |
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| Albumin |
A major protein found in blood |
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| Alcohol |
Inhibits the zinc-dependent conversion of vitamin A to bioactive retinol in the testis |
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| Allantois |
Greek: ALLOS(sausage) + EIDOS (form,appearance) |
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| Allele |
An alternative form of a gene at a particular locus |
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| Allele frequency |
The proportion of a particular allele in a particular population. |
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| Allodynia |
`other pain`, is a painful response to a usually non-painful stimulus and can be either static or mechanical. |
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| Allogeneic |
Biological materials such as genes, proteins, cells, tissues, or organs used for transplantation and derived from another donor individual of the same species as the recipient.
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| Allopoietic |
One with an apparent requirement for external stimulation. |
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| Alopecia |
Hair loss |
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| Alpha-fetoprotein |
A protein found in the bloodstream of some men with testicular cancer |
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| AMA |
Advanced maternal age [Abbrev] |
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| Amenorrhoea |
Absence of menstruation. |
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| Amenorrhoea |
Absence of menstrual bleeding |
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| Aminocentesis |
A method of obtaining fetal cells for prenatal diagnosis usually done about the 16th week of pregnancy and involves the removal of amniotic fluid from the sac surrounding the fetus. |
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| Amniocentesis |
The removal of a small amount of fluid using and ultrasound from the fetal sac to check for fetal chromosomes. |
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| Amnion |
Greek: AMNION (fetal membrane) |
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| Amnion |
Inner of the membranes lining the fetal sac. |
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| Amorphous |
Diffuse, undefined sperm head - type of sperm morphology. |
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| Amorphous |
Term used to describe a form of sperm morphology with bizarre forms or multiple defects. |
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| Amphidiploid |
An organism or cell having a diploid set of chromosomes from each parent |
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| Ampulla |
Secretory head of the fallopian tube. |
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| Ampulla |
Latin: AMPULLA (a flask or vessel swelling in the middle). |
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| Ampullary |
Minor accessory gland of the male reproductive system. |
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| Ana |
GREEK prefix: upward, throughout, frequently |
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| Anabolism |
Synthesis of more complex substances from simpler ones |
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| Anaphase |
Stage of mitosis and meiosis during which either bivalent (meiosis 1) or sister chromatids (mitosis, meiosis 2) separate and move to opposite poles of the cell. |
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| Anastomosis |
In surgery, the connection made, usually by stitching, between two separated ends of a tubular structure. |
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| Anastomosis |
Greek: ANASTOMOEIN (to bring to a mouth, cause to communicate). |
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| Andro |
GREEK: ANDROS (male) |
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| Androgen |
A hormone such as testosterone responsible for the development of male characteristics |
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| Androgens |
Male sex hormones.
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| Andrologist |
Andrologist:
A physician-scientist who performs laboratory evaluations of male fertility. |
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| Andrology |
The study of the functions and diseases peculiar to males, especially of the reproductive organs. The equivalent to gynaecology for women. |
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| Anejaculation |
Failure to obtain ejaculation. |
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| Aneuoplidy |
The presence of extra or missing chromosomes in cells. |
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| Aneuploidy |
A condition where there is a loss or gain of chromosomes resulting in an alteration to the normal complement within a cell. |
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| Angiogenesis |
Formation of new blood vessels out of preexisting capillaries. The process by which blood vessels grow to supply blood to cells, organs and tissues (including tumors).
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| Animalcules |
van Leeuwenhoeks original name for spermatozoa |
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| Annulus |
Junction between the midpiece and the principle piece of a human spermatozoon |
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| Anorchism |
Condition arising from a late fetal testicular regression associated with a male pheontype but where the testes are absent. |
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| Anorchism |
Sometimes called the `vanishing testis syndrome`. |
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| Anorgasmia |
Failure to achieve an orgasm |
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| Anovulation |
The absence of ovulation. A period may still occur. |
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| Anovulation |
The absence of ovulation due to immaturity or post-maturity or pregnancy or oral contraceptive pills or dysfunction of the ovary |
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| Anovulation |
Anovulation: The failure to ovulate; ovulatory failure.
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| ANP |
Antral Natriuretic Peptide |
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| Antegrade ejaculation |
Normal forward ejaculation |
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| Anteverted |
Forward Uterine position |
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| Anteverted |
Tilted forward; the most common position for the uterus. |
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| Antibodies |
Protein made in the body in response to foreign substance; attacks foreign substance and protects against infection |
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| Antibody |
In infertility, a compound in the blood, mucus or semen which interferes with normal sperm function. |
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| Antibody |
Antibody (AN-tee-BAWD-ee) – An immunoglobulin capable of specific combination with the antigen that caused its production in a susceptible animal. |
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| Anticipation |
The decreased age of onset and/or increased severity of an inheritied disorder as it passes from one generation to the next. |
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| Anticodon |
In a transfer RNA molecule, a nucleotide triplet whose base sequence is complementary to that of a particular messenger RNA thereby allowing recognition and binding to the appropriate codon. |
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| Antigen |
Antigen (ANT-eh-jen) – Any substance foreign to the body that elicits a specific immune response. |
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| Antigen |
Antigens are generally foreign substances such as toxins or bacteria that cause the body to react with an immune system response. |
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| Antimetabolites |
Anticancer drugs that closely resemble substances needed by cells for normal growth |
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| Antiserum |
Antiserum (ANT-tee-seer-um) – Blood from an immunized host presumably possessing antibodies of interest as well as other serum proteins. |
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| Antral |
Layer of granulosa cell furthest from the basement membrane and closer to the antrum |
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| Antrum |
Fluid filled cavity inside a growing and maturing ovarian follicle. |
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| Antrum |
Fulid filled space. |
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| Anuria |
A condition in which the body stops making urine |
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| Anus |
Opening at the lower end of the rectum through which stools are passed |
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| AOT |
Acridine orange staining technique. |
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| AOT |
Acridine orange staining technique. |
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| Aplasia |
Germ Cell Aplasia (Sertoli Cell Only):
An inherited condition in which the testicles have no germ cells but normal Leydig cells. They will develop secondary sex characteristics. |
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| Aplasia |
Failure to develop. If something develops and then wastes away, that is atrophy. |
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| Apocrine |
Type of secretion where cells bud their secretions off through the plasma membrane producing membrane bound vesicles. |
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| Apolar |
Inside cells. |
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| Apoptosis |
A mode of programmed cellular death based on a genetic mechanism causing a series of cellular, morphologicaland biochemical alterations, leading the cell to suicide without an inflammatory response. |
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| Apoptosis |
Programmed cell death |
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| AR |
Acrosome Reaction [Abrev] |
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| ARIC |
Acrososome reaction ionophore challenge |
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| Arms |
The two segments of a chromosome, called the p (short) and the q (long) that are defined by the position of the centromere. |
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| ART |
Assisted Reproductive Technology |
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| ASA |
Antisperm Antibodies |
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| Ascites |
A buildup of fluid in the abdominal cavity, can cause swelling and the feeling of being bloated. |
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| Ascities |
Abdominal Fluid |
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| Ashermans |
Ashermans Syndrome: A condition where the uterine walls adhere to one another. Usually caused by uterine inflammation. |
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| Aspermia |
No ejaculate |
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| Aspiration |
Gentle suction used to remove an egg from a follicle |
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| Aspiration cycle |
Initiated ART cycle in which one or more follicles are punctured and aspirated irrespective of whether or not oocytes are retrieved. |
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| Assisted hatching |
An in vitro procedure in which the zona pellucida of an embryo (usually at eight-cell stage or a blastocyst) is perforated by chemical, mechanical or laser-assisted methods to assist separation of the blastocyst from the zona pellucida. |
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| Assisted Hatching |
The partial or complete removal of the zona pellucida by zona drilling or by enzymatic means, the rationale being that this will enhance the ability of a blastocyst to hatch. |
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| Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) |
All treatments or procedures that include the in vitro handling of human oocytes and sperm or embryos for the purpose of establishing a pregnancy. This includes, but is not limited to, IVF and transcervical embryo transfer, gamete intra-Fallopian transfer, zygote intra-Fallopian transfer, tubal embryo transfer, gamete and embryo cryopreservation, oocyte and embryo donation and gestational surrogacy. ART does not include assisted insemination (artificial insemination) using sperm from either a wo |
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| Asthenozoospermia |
Less than the reference values for motility |
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| Asymptomatic |
A disease process that does not have symptoms.
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| Atherosclerosis |
A process that results in the accumulation of plagues or deposits in arteries that may lead to obstruction |
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| Atresia |
Degeneration and readsorption of cellulur structures such as in follicle demise. |
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| Attenuated |
Stretched out, lengthened. |
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| Autocrine |
Molecules which act upon the cell secreting them |
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| Autoimmune |
An illness caused by, or associated with, the development of an immune response to normal body tissues. |
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| Autologous |
Biological materials such as cells, tissues, or organs used for transplantation and derived from the recipient himself.
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| Autonomy |
An ethical principle in which value is given to maximising an individual`s contribution to the making of decisions that affect them. |
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| Autopoietic |
One with no apparent requirement for external stimulation. |
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| Autosome |
Any nuclear chromosome that is not a sex chromosome. |
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| Avidity |
Avidity (ah-VID-eh-tee) – A measure of the overall strength of binding of the entire antibody-antigen complex. |
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| Avidity |
Strength of binding, usually of a small molecule with multiple binding sites by a larger, particularly the binding of a complex antigen by an antibody or a hormone to its receptor. |
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| Axenome |
A 9+2 microtubular arrangement found in cillia and flagella |
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| AZF |
Azoospermia factor |
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| Azoospermia |
The complete lack of spermatozoa in the ejaculate. |
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| Azoospermia |
The absence of sperm in the seminal fluid due to a blockage in the sperm ducts or impairment of sperm production. |
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