Friday, 3 May 2024, 9:34 PM
Site: VetLogic - E Learning and training for Vet Nurses
Course: VetLogic - E Learning and training for Vet Nurses (VetLogic)
Glossary: Glossary with audio assistance
C

Calculus

stone like deposits of mineral salts found in hollow organs or on the teeth. In the urethra they can result in blockage of the passage of urine.

Calling

persistent yowling exhibited by the female cat (queen) during the pro-oestrus period of the oestrous cycle

Canaliculus

a space containing a cytoplasmic process of an osteocyte in bone tissue, or a space between rows of cells in the liver along which bile flows

Capillary refill time

time taken for blood capillaries to refill after flow in them has been disrupted in some way

Carcinogenic

any agent or substance that can cause tumour formation and cancer

Cardiac

pertaining to the heart

Carnivore

meat-eating animal

Carrier

an individual who has a copy of a recessive gene that is not expressed because of heterozygosity, but the gene can be passed on to the next generation, alternatively, an individual, infected with a pathogen, but not showing any symptoms of disease.

Carriers

convalescent carrier: animal which has had a disease and recovered

Carrion

decaying flesh

Cassette

a light-proof container which holds X-ray film and intensifying screens in close contact

Catabolic reaction

a reaction in which chemical substances are broken down and energy is released

Cathode

negatively charged electrode which produces electrons

Cation

a positively charged particle

Caudal fermenter

herbivorous animal whose main microbial fermentation takes place in the large intestine

Cell

a structure bound by a plasma membrane, containing cytoplasm and organelles; the basic structural and functional unit of all living organisms.

Central Nervous System

the part of the nervous system that consists of the brain and the spinal cord

Centriole

an organelle composed of microtubules, that is involved in the formation of the spindle during mitosis

Centromere

the part of the chromosome to which spindle fibres attach during cell division

Cerebrospinal fluid

clear fluid produced in the choroid plexus of the ventricles of the brain. It is found in the brain and spinal cord. 

Chlamydia

bacterial agent that causes Chlamydia infection in cats

Chloroplasts

organelles, found in plant cells, which contain chlorophyll (green pigment). They are the sites of photosynthesis.

Chondrocyte

cell found in cartilage

Chromatid

two identical chromosomes, joined together by a centromere, formed during the interphase of the cell cycle

Chromatin

material within the nucleus of a eukaryotic cell which consists of DNA and histone proteins

Chromosome

thread-like structure made up of DNA and histones, containing a series of genes, found in the nucleus of a eukaryotic cell

Chronotrope

A drug that increases the rate of cardiac contraction

Chyle

fatty liquid absorbed from the small intestine by lymphatic capillaries known as lacteals

Chylothorax

lymphatic fluid in the pleural cavity

Chyme

partially digested food with an acid pH expelled from the stomach

Cilia

short hair-like structures found on the surfaces of some cells and organisms; used for either propelling trapped material out of the body or for locomotion

Cisternal puncture

obtaining a sample of cerebrospinal fluid from the cisterna magnum

Clotting time

time taken for blood to clot naturally

Codominance

both the alleles of a gene are expressed equally in the phenotype even though they may be different

Coitus

the act of mating

Collimation

the process of altering the size of the primary beam using a light beam diaphragm (LBD)

Colloid

a fluid where solid molecules are suspended in a liquid (but invisible to the naked eye). In fluid therapy, colloid fluids contain large molecules that remain in the circulation and therefore are plasma volume expanders.

Colonisation

the formation of compact population groups of the same type of microorganism

Commensal

living on or within another organism, and deriving benefit without harming or benefiting the host individual; an organism that causes neither harm nor benefit to the host

Compound follicle

hair follicle which consists of a primary hair follicle and several secondary hair follicles

Concentration gradient

the change in the concentration of a substance from one area to another

Conceptus

embryo or fetus plus the surrounding membranes and placenta

Conditionally essential nutrient

a nutrient that is normally not essential but becomes so, due to certain physiological or pathological conditions resulting in relative deficiency

Conditioned reflex

a reflex action which has been modified in response to experience or learning. For example, a dog may salivate when it sees its owner remove a tin opener from a drawer.

Conjugation

bacterial mating

Connective tissue

tissue that binds structures together, made up of cells and an intercellular matrix and its functions include support, protection and repair

Constipation

infrequent or difficulty passing of faeces

Contagion

the transmission of disease from one individual to another

Contagious

capable of being transmitted between animals by direct or indirect contact

Contamination

the soiling or making inferior by contact or mixture

Contrast

the difference in radiographic density between adjacent areas on a radiograph

Contrast media

substances which are introduced into the patient to increase or decrease radiopacity and contrast during an X-ray

Contrast study

a radiographic procedure which improves the contrast of the area under examination

Controlled drug

a drug whose use and possession  is controlled by legislation

Coprophagia

eating faeces

Coupage

percussion of the chest using cupped hands to aid removal of secretions

Cranial fermenter

herbivorous animal whose main microbial fermentation takes place in a modified stomach

Cranium

the skull containing the brain

Crossed grid

two parallel grids at right angles to each other

Crystalloid

a fluid containing small molecules which move quickly from the circulation

Cumulative

to build up

Cushing's disease

disease caused by excess adrenocortical hormones; hyperadrenocorticism

Cystitis

inflammation of the bladder

Cytokinesis

the division of the cytoplasm of a cell following division of the nucleus

Cytoplasm

a jelly-like material that surrounds the nucleus of a cell and contains most of the cell's organelles