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NARCOTIC - an agent which depresses
the function of the central nervous system, inducing sleep and lessening pain.
By definition, narcotics can be toxic in excess.
NECROSIS is the cellular death of
individual, local or specific groups of cells.
NEOPLASIA - the process of tumor
formation or a tumorous condition of the body.
NERVINE - A substance which quells
nervousness and irritability, either through depression or stimulation of the
central nervous system.
NEURITIS is an inflammation of a
nerve or nerves, usually associated with a degenerative process. Marked by
neuralgia, hyperesthesia, paresthesia, anesthesia, paralysis, wasting, and
disappearance of the reflexes. Causes can be mechanical (compression,
contusion, or trauma), vascular (as in neuritis accompanying peripheral
vascular disease), or metabolic (such as thiamine deficiency, gastrointestinal
dysfunction, diabetes, or toxemias related to pregnancy). Other factors include
infections - direct, localized infections of nerves with accompanying diseases
such as leprosy, tetany, tuberculosis, malaria, and measles - and toxins,
especially poisoning by heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, and mercury, or by
alcohol or carbon tetrachloride.
NEUROLOGIST: Twitch doctor.
NEUROTIC: Sane but unhappy about
it.
NEUROTIC: A person who worries about
things that didn’t happen in the past, instead of worry about something
that won’t happen in the future, like normal people.
NITROGEN BALANCE is an estimate of
the difference between nitrogen intake and output. The number is derived by
subtracting the amount of urea nitrogen in a urine sample from an individual's
total protein intake. If the urinary urea nitrogen value is larger than the
protein intake, the nitrogen balance will be a negative number. A negative
nitrogen balance indicates that not enough protein was ingested to meet the
body's nutritional requirements, and that endogenous muscle protein has to be
broken down to provide the nutrients for metabolic processes. Prolonged
negative nitrogen balance results in muscle wasting and general weight loss. If
the urinary urea nitrogen value is smaller than the protein intake, the
nitrogen balance will be a positive number. This positive nitrogen balance
results from ingesting dietary protein in amounts which meet the metabolic
requirements of the body.
NOREPINEPHRINE - A hormone produced
in the Adrenal Medulla which acts as a transmitter substance of the peripheral
sympathetic nerve endings, and probably of certain synapses in the central
nervous system. It constricts the arterioles and venules - (the very small
arteries leading to capillaries and continuous tiny veins) to regulate
increased resistance to blood flow, elevated blood pressure and slowing of the
heart.
NUCLEIC ACIDS are a group of high
molecular weight, polymeric substances including DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
and RNA (ribonucleic acid). DNA is the chemical basis of heredity and the
carrier of genetic information of all organisms. RNA may also be the carrier of
genetic information in some viruses. In other organisms it reacts with and
carries an activated amino acid to participate in the manufacture of protein
molecules.
Nucleic acids are found in the nuclei,
nucleoli, mitochondria, and cytoplasm of all cells, and in viruses. Nucleic
acids have complex chemical structures, formed of pentoses, phosphoric acid,
and nitrogen bases prines and pyrimidines.
NUTRIENTS are foods or any substances
which supply the body with elements necessary for metabolism. Certain nutrients
(carbohydrates, fats, and proteins) provide energy; other nutrients (water,
electrolytes, minerals, and vitamins) are essential to the metabolic
process.
NURSE: Needlepoint expert. |
