Glossary

Author: Glossary

  • Excystation

    The escape of certain organisms (parasitic worms or protozoa) from an enclosing cyst wall or envelope. This process occurs in the life cycle of an intestinal parasite after the encysted form is ingested.  

  • Excuse of infancy

    A legal standard that limits the culpability of minors. It states that an unlawful act may not be criminal if it is committed by a minor who, by virtue of age alone, may not have enough understanding of right and wrong to act with criminal intent.  

  • Diaphragmatic excursion

    In respiration, the movement of the diaphragm from its level during full exhalation to its level during full inhalation. Normal diaphragmatic excursion is 5 to 7 cm bilaterally in adults. It may be seen during fluoroscopic or ultrasonographic examinations of the chest, or percussed during physical examination of the chest wall.  

  • Excretory urography

    An occasionally used synonym for intravenous pyelography (IVP).  

  • Exclusivity

    In the pharmaceutical industry, patent protection for drug manufacturers who may produce a therapeutic agent with out competition from other drug suppliers.  

  • Excitotoxin

    A neurotransmitter (e.g., glutamate or aspartate) that can cause brain cell injury or death if its action is unabated. Brain damage is mediated by excitotoxins during prolonged seizure activity and stroke.  

  • Excited state

    The new state produced when energy is added to a nucleus, atom, or molecule. The energy is added by the absorption of photons or by collisions with other particles. When an atom lacks an electron, it is referred to as being in an excited state.  

  • Excited skin syndrome

    The eruption of inflammatory rashes far from an initial exposure to an allergen or irritant. The syndrome can cause false-positive reactions during allergy patch testing.  

  • Muscle excitability

    In a muscle fiber, the inducibility to contract. This is a function of the chemical and electrical state of the sarcolemma and the time since a previous stimulus was applied.  

  • Total mesorectal excision

    Removal of the mesentery of the rectum, including its lymphoid and vascular tissue, during surgery for rectal adenocarcinoma.