Glossary Term - M
Alphabetical glossary of health & disability services, health terms and general MidCentral District Health Board information.
Mailroom
Malignant
This word is used to describe a disease or condition that gets worse at time goes by, or which spreads to other parts of the body.
Management Accountants
Manawhenua Hauora
Materials Management
Maternal Mental Health
Maxilla
The bones in the skull that form your upper jaw are called the maxilla.
Meals on Wheels
Media
Medical Credentialing
Medical Photographer
Medical Records & Coding
Melanin
The pigment that gives our skin, hair and eye colour. The amount of melanin in your skin depends on your race and whether you’re exposed to sunlight a lot.
Meninges
These are the layers of tissue that cover your brain and spinal cord. If the meninges become inflamed, this is called meningitis.
Mental Health Service Co-ordination
Microscope
A powerful instrument that lets scientists examine things closely that cannot normally be seen with the naked eye.
MidCentral Health
Molecule
The smallest part of a substance.
Monocyte
This is a type of white blood cell which fights infection.
MRI Scan
A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan produces images of what's going on inside your body. It uses very strong magnetic fields (like a big magnet) and radio waves. An MRI scanner looks like a tunnel that you lie inside. It takes a while but you can watch a video while you're in there, so it's not that as bad as it sounds. You do have to lie very still though, which can be a bind, but it doesn't hurt at all.
Mucous membrane
The lining of many parts of the body, like your nose and mouth. They let out a fluid (mucus) that keeps everything moist.
Mucus
This is a thick, slimy fluid released by the mucous membranes.
Muscles
We have lots of muscles in our body – some are very small, others are very big. Muscles work by contracting (squeezing tight) and relaxing to make things move.
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Last Updated 17/10/2007