Tag Archives: Glossary.

High blood pressure in the portal vein. This vein carries blood into the liver. Portal hypertension is a common complication of cirrhosis and may cause esophageal varices and ascites.

The observable traits or characteristics of an organism, for example hair color, weight, or the presence or absence of a disease. Phenotypic traits are not necessarily genetic

The space behind the mouth that serves as a passage for food from the mouth to the esophagus and for air from the nose and mouth to the larynx, or voice box.

Anemia caused by a lack of vitamin B12. The body needs B12 to make red blood cells and nerve cells.

An infection of the peritoneum.

The lining of the abdominal cavity.

A wavelike movement of muscles in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Peristalsis moves food and liquid through the GI tract.

The area between the anus and the sex organs

Related to the perineum.

The area around the anus.

A hole in the wall of an organ.

An ulcer that breaks through the wall of the stomach or the duodenum, causing stomach contents to leak into the abdominal cavity.

The passage of an instrument through the skin to allow access to the organs.

Two or more amino acids joined by a peptide bond.

A sore in the lining of the esophagus, stomach, or duodenum, usually caused by the bacterium Helicobacter pylori. An ulcer in the stomach is a gastric ulcer; an ulcer in the duodenum is a duodenal ulcer.