Clinical Definition Viruses may gain access to the body through various routes, including the digestive, reproductive and respiratory system. Viruses that are pathogenic to humans begin to use the hosts cells to reproduce and cause disease. Viral receptors attach and penetrate healthy cells and use those cells in order to replicate. The severity of a…
Vital Signs
Clinical Definition Vital signs are measurements of the body’s basic functions, taken to evaluate the general physical health of a person, track progress during treatment or offer information about possible disease states. The four main vital signs are blood pressure, body temperature, pulse (or heart rate) and respiration (breathing rate). In Our Own Words Vital…
Vitamins
Clinical Definition Vitamins are essential organic compounds that an organism requires in small doses for survival. In Our Own Words Vitamins are organic nutrients your body needs to function properly. There are 13 classified vitamins, which fall into two categories: water-soluble or fat-soluble. Fat-soluble vitamins include vitamins A, D, E and K, are stored in…
Vitiligo
Clinical Definition Vitiligo is a skin disease that most commonly affects epidermis on the face and body and causes skin to lose pigment when melanocytes die (i.e., lightening and sometimes turning white). Vitiligo may affect the hair, inside of the mouth and in some cases, even the eyes. The disease swath can expand over time…