GLOSSARY

Words followed by this symbol are defined here

antibody--- disease-fighting substance produced by the body in response to the presence of an antigen. aspiration pneumonitis--- lung inflammation due to an inhaled substance such as food, drugs or misdirected mineral oil administered to treat constipation or choke. Banamine--- trade name of flunixin meglumine, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug used to control inflammation and pain primarily associated with colic and muscle injuries. dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)---organic chemical that has a number of medicinal properties, including anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and analgesic; DMSO can pass readily through the skin. DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)---large organic molecule that consists of two chains of nucleotides wound around each other; the material of which genes are made. Genes are responsible for the individual inherited characteristics of living organisms. encephalitis--- inflammation of the brain. enteric--- pertaining to the intestines. epithelium--- tissue layer covering and/or lining internal and external body surfaces. equine herpesvirus (EHV)---a family of viruses that primarily cause chronic respiratory infections in horses (EHV-1, EHV-4). EHV-1 can also cause abortions in mares and, in rare cases, both EHV-1 and -4 can cause neurological signs, including progressive weakness and incoordination. EHV-3 causes a venereal disease called equine coital exanthema. equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM)--inflammation of the brain and spinal cord caused by protozoal infection. gene--- the fundamental physical and functional unit of heredity; an ordered sequence of nucleotides located in a particular position on a particular chromosome that encodes a specific functional product. gene expression--- process by which a gene’s coded information is converted into the structures present and operating in the cell. inflammation--- response to injury, marked by capillary dilation, redness, heat and pain, that removes harmful bacteria and damaged tissue and initiates the healing process. influenza--- acute viral infection involving the respiratory tract. Influenza is marked by inflammation of the nasal mucosa, the pharynx, the conjunctiva, the lungs and sometimes the heart muscle. insulin--- hormone secreted by the pancreas to control blood sugar level and utilization of sugar in the body. neoplasia--- uncontrolled progressive proliferation of cells, as in the formation of a tumor. phenotype--- physical makeup and appearance of an organism as determined by its genes and environment; expression of a genotype. plasma--- blood liquid that contains specialized cells, such as platelets, and the proteins related to clotting; obtained by centrifuging whole unclotted blood to settle out the other cells. polymerase chain reaction (PCR)---a technique used to amplify the number of copies of a specific region of DNA, in order to produce enough DNA to be adequately tested. This technique can be used to identify with a very high probability diseasecausing viruses and/or bacteria. septicemia--- bacterial infection circulating throughout the bloodstream. shockwave therapy (extracorporeal shockwave therapy, ESWT)---noninvasive treatment method that directs a tightly focused beam of acoustic pressure waves at target areas within the body. The waves pass readily through skin, fat and muscle and transfer their energy at interfaces between tissues of a different density, such as cartilage and bone. The therapeutic benefits of ESWT are still under study, but the treatment has been shown to have an analgesic effect. small strongyles--- any of 40 species of strongyles (roundworm parasites) one centimeter or less in length at maturity that commonly infect the intestines of horses; thought to be less harmful than large strongyles, their larval migrations are limited to the intestinal walls. tapeworm--- flat, elongated, internal parasite that infests the lower end of the small intestine after a horse has ingested eggs which have been developing in an intermediate host. tetanus--- rigid paralytic disease caused by Clostridium tetani, an anaerobic bacterium that lives in soil and feces. tracheotomy--- incision into the trachea through the skin and muscles of the neck. villi--- minute, slender, fingerlike projections of the small intestine’s mucous membrane that absorb the final products of digestion.