News Articles February 2022

Microscopy

Using an operating microscope to better visualize a small operating field or perform delicate surgery.

The examination of minute objects by means of a microscope, an instrument which provides an enlarged image of an object not visible with the naked eye.

Milliroentgens

One-thousandth of a roentgen.

The international unit of exposure for x-rays or gamma rays.

Modality

A form of application or employment of a therapeutic agent or regimen.

A method of treatment. For example, surgery and chemotherapy are treatment modalities.

Monoclonal Antibodies (MAB)

A biological response modifier with unique ‘homing device” properties.

Chemicals or radiation tagged to the MAB may be delivered directly to tumor cells. Or, the MAB itself may be capable of tumor cell destruction.

Musculoskeletal

Relating to muscles and to the skeleton, as, for example, the musculoskeletal system.

The musculoskeletal system is comprised of the skeleton, which provides mechanical support and determines shape; the muscles, which power movement; and connective tissues such as tendon and ligament, which hold the other components together. The cartilage surfaces of joints and the intervertebral discs of the spine allow for movement and flexibility. The Division of Musculoskeletal Diseases of the NIAMS supports research aimed at improving the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases and injuries of the musculoskeletal system and its component tissues. Key public health problems addressed by this research include osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and muscular dystrophy. Research is conducted at every level, from fundamental biology to clinical intervention.

Mutate

Change in the genetic material (DNA) inside the cell.

To change the genetic material of a cell. The changes (mutations) can be harmful, beneficial, or have no effect.

Needle Biopsy

Removal of tissue or suspensions of cells from living patients through a small needle for diagnostic examination.

The removal of tissue or fluid with a needle for examination under a microscope. When a wide needle is used, the procedure is called a core biopsy. When a thin needle is used, the procedure is called a fine-needle aspiration biopsy.
Fine-needle aspiration is used when a doctor finds a lump that appears to be a cyst. Removal of fluid from the lump is done using a thin needle and a syringe.
A core needle biopsy uses a needle with a special cutting edge. The core needle is inserted through a small cut in the skin, and a small core of tissue is removed.

Neoplasm

An abnormal tissue that grows by cellular proliferation more rapidly than normal and continues to grow after the stimuli that initiated the new growth cease.

Neoplasms show partial or complete lack of structural organization and functional coordination with the normal tissue, and usually form a distinct mass of tissue, which may be either benign (benign tumor) or malignant (cancer).

Nervous System

The entire integrated system of nerve tissue in the body

The brain, brain stem, spinal cord, nerves and ganglia.

Neuron

Nerve cell; conducts electrical signals.

1) A type of cell that receives and sends messages from the body to the brain and back to the body. The messages are sent by a weak electrical current. Also called nerve cell.
2) The basic cellular units of nervous tissue. Each neuron consists of a body, an axon, and dendrites. Their purpose is to receive, conduct, and transmit impulses in the nervous system.
3) The major components of a typical neuron include the cell body with the nucleus; the dendrites that receive signals from other neurons; and the axon, which relay nerve signals to other neurons at a specialized structure called a synapse. When the nerve signal reaches the synapse, it causes the release of chemical messengers (i.e., neurotransmitters) from storage vesicles. The neurotransmitters travel across a minute gap between the cells and then interact with protein molecules (i.e., receptors) located in the membrane surrounding the signal-receiving neuron. This interaction causes biochemical reactions that result in the generation, or prevention, of a new nerve signal, depending on the type of neuron, neurotransmitter, and/or receptor involved.