tinnitus ringing in the ears.
tympanic membrane the eardrum.
vertigo a sense that one is spinning or whirling around, a symptom of inner ear impairment.
eyes
aqueous humor the nutrient-rich fluid that fills the chamber between the cornea and the lens.
astigmatism distorted vision—usually affecting peripheral vision—due to abnormal curvature of the eye.
blind spot there are no photoreceptors where the optic nerve passes through the retina, thus the eye is literally blind to any images that fall there.
cataract a clouding of the lens, obscuring vision.
choroid membrane the layer of the eyeball containing blood vessels that nourish the eye.
color blindness an inability to identify color, usually red or green; it rarely affects females.
cones light-reactive nerve cells in the retina that are responsible for detecting color.
conjunctiva the mucous membrane lining the inner eyelid and the outer surface of the eyeball.
conjunctivitis inflammation of the conjunctiva.
cornea the transparent outer membrane of the eyeball.
crocodile tear syndrome shedding tears instead of salivating in anticipation of food, a rare disorder caused by the crossing of the nerves leading to and from the salivary and lacrimal glands, usually due to injury.
detached retina loss or deterioration of vision due to the retina becoming separated from the other layers of the eyeball.
diplopia seeing double.
dry eye syndrome inadequate functioning of the tear glands, producing dry eyes.
ectropion the turning-out of an eyelid so that it lies away from the eyeball.
entropion the turning-in of an eyelid, so that it scratches the eyeball.
epicanthus an extra skin fold covering the inner angle of the eye, normal in Asians and children with Down's syndrome.
esotropia a form of strabismus in which one eye is turned or crossed inward.
exophthalmos bulging of the eyeballs, caused by overactivity of the thyroid gland.
exotropia a form of strabismus in which one eye is turned or crossed outward.
floaters floating specks sometimes seen before the eyes; they're usually harmless, dead blood cells.
glaucoma increased intraocular pressure due to overproduction of aqueous humor or an obstruction of its normal flow; it causes visual defects or blindness.
grayout a blurring or temporary loss of vision in airplane pilots due to an oxygen deficiency.
helerochroma iridis the condition of having one blue eye and one brown eye, present in 2 out of every 1,000 people.
hyperopia farsightedness; the ability to see things far away but not close up.
keratitis acute or chronic inflammation of the cornea caused by an infection by herpes simplex type 1 virus.
lacrimal glands tear glands; they keep the eyes constantly moist.
lazy eye a loss or lack of vision in one eye due to misalignment of the eyes.
lens behind the iris, the transparent body that changes shape to focus on objects at various distances.
muscae volitantes the condition of seeing floating specks before the eyes.
myopia nearsightedness; the ability to see close up but not far away.
nystagmus jerking, involuntary movements of the eyes due to brain lesions or inflammation, alcohol or drug toxicity, or a congenital disorder.
ocular involving the eyes or vision.
oculomotor pertaining to movements of the eyes.
optic nerve the main nerve leading from the retina that transmits images in the form of electrical impulses to the brain.
orbit an eye socket.
photophobia extreme sensitivity to light, a symptom of an eye disease.
photopsia the condition of seeing flashes of light before the eyes, a symptom of an eye disease. Also known as scintillation.
pinkeye inflammation of the conjunctiva marked by redness of the eyeball.
pupil the dark spot surrounded by the iris; the iris makes it enlarge or shrink in response to light or strong emotion.
radial keratotomy a series of surgical incisions made in the cornea to cure nearsightedness, a procedure pioneered in the Soviet Union.
retina the innermost layer of the eyeball on which light rays are focused and converted to electrical signals to be sent to the brain.
retinitis pigmentosa a hereditary disorder characterized by progressive destruction of the retina's rods, resulting ultimately in blindness.
retinoblastoma a malignant tumor of the retina.
retinology study of the retina and its diseases and disorders.
sclera the white of the eye.
strabismus group of eye disorders including cross- eyes, walleyes, squinting, and general uncoordinated eye movement.
stye a staph infection of the eye producing a painful abscess at the margin of an eyelid.
trachoma a contagious disease affecting the conjunctiva and cornea that can result in blindness, commonly found in tropical regions.
20-20 vision normal vision at 20 feet.
vascular retinopathies a group of disorders caused by diminished blood flow to the eyes, causing visual defects.
vitreous humor the clear jelly in the large chamber behind the lens.
walleye strabismus with one or both eyes pointing outward. Also, an eye with a light-colored iris.
HAIR
achromotrichia lack of color in the hair; graying. depilate to remove hair. depilatory any substance that removes hair. electrolysis removing hair with an electric needle. hirsute hairy.
hirsutism abnormal hairiness on face and chest, especially in women. Also known as hypertrichosis.
male pattern baldness progressive balding thought to be caused by hormones.
melanocytes cells in the roots that give color to hair.
paratrichosis growth of hair in abnormal or odd places.
poliosis premature graying of the hair.
trichology the study of hair diseases.
widow's peak a V-shaped point of hair crowning the forehead.
Beards
a la Souvaroff a style in which the mustache joins with the sideburns, the chin left clean-shaven.
alfalfa early American slang for a beard.
anchor a short, pointy beard worn at the edge of the chin with a fringe extending up to the center of the bottom lip.
Assyrian a long beard having plaits or spiral curls. aureole a rounded beard.
barbiche a small tuft of hair under the bottom lip. Also known as a barbula.
beaver early 20th-century slang for a beard or a man with a beard.
Belgrave a medium-length, neatly trimmed beard that may be square-cut, rounded, rounded with a point, or pointed.
burnside a mustache joined with sideburns, with the chin clean-shaven, named after General Ambrose Burnside in the 19th century.