Webster's New World Medical Dictionary

akinesia
The state of being without movement.
akinetic
Related to the loss of the normal ability
to move the muscles.
akinetic epilepsy
See 
epilepsy, akinetic.
akinetic mutism
See 
mutism, akinetic.
alanine aminotransferase
An enzyme normally
present in liver, skeletal muscle, and heart cells.
Abbreviated ALT. ALT is released into blood when the
liver, skeletal muscle, or heart is inflamed or
injured by diseases, conditions, or medications.
Also known as serum glutamic pyruvic transami-
nase (SGPT).
albinism
A pigmentation disorder characterized
by partial or total lack of the pigment melanin in the
skin, hair, and iris. Albinism is caused by an auto-
somal recessive gene and can occur in people of
any ethnic background. People with albinism have
delicate skin that sunburns and develops skin can-
cer easily, and they may suffer from eye disorders.
See also 
Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome; vitiligo.
albino
A person with albinism. The term was first
applied by the Portuguese to people in West Africa,
who may have had partial or complete albinism.
albuginea
Tough white fibrous tissue. The tunica
albuginea of the testis, for example, is the layer of
dense whitish inelastic tissue that surrounds the
testis.
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albumin
The main protein in human blood and
the key to regulating the osmotic pressure of blood.
Chemically, albumin is soluble in water, precipitated
by acid, and coagulated by heat.
albuminuria
More than the normal amount of
albumin in the urine. Albuminuria can be a sign that
protein is leaking through the kidney, most often
through the glomeruli, or a sign of significant kid-
ney disease. It may also be the harmless result of
vigorous exercise. Also known as proteinuria.
alcohol
An organic substance formed when a
hydroxyl group is substituted for a hydrogen atom in
a hydrocarbon. The type of alcohol used in alco-
holic beverages, ethanol, derives from fermenting
sugar with yeast. After alcohol is ingested, the body
converts it to sugar-based fuel. Alcohol acts as a
central nervous system depressant, and it may be