Page 315 - parasitology for medical and clinical laboratoryprofessionals

GLOSSARY 295

Iron supplements Vitamins that contain iron in a form used in medicine for bloodletting, supposedly to cure a variety of
by the body; often necessary for certain medical conditions diseases.
where anemia is primary or is the result of another disease Leishmaniasis Infection caused by a flagellate protozoan of
process. one of the infective species of the genus Leishmania, normally
Iron-hematoxylin stain Type of stain used to differenti- transmitted to humans or animals chiefly by flies; causes a dis-
ate the internal morphology of cells and organisms, to include ease with two distinctive ulcerative skin diseases.
parasites. Leukocytes White blood cells.
Itch mite An extremely small parasitic arthropod (insect) Leukopenia Low numbers of white blood cells.
which is most commonly. Sarcoptes scabiei burrows into the Lice Extremely small (1 mm or less) wingless insects of the
skin of humans and causes a condition called scabies or one order Anoplura; some of these are parasitic on humans and
type of mange in dogs or cats. other mammals and some infest mostly birds; having sucking
Ixodidae This term refers to a family of ticks called “hard- mouthparts; examples include the body or head louse, Pedicu-
bodied ticks” and are important vectors of many tick-borne lus humanus, and Phthirius pubis, which is commonly called
diseases. the crab or pubic louse.
Lindane One of the medications used to treat scabies, head
J lice, and crabs is lindane.
Liver abscesses Ranges from bacterial infections with pus
Jaundice A yellowing condition of the skin caused by destruc- generated from the site, to hepatic amebiasis; the amebic liver
tion of RBCs. This condition may originate from an infectious abscess is a collection of pus in the liver caused by an intestinal
process by bacteria, viruses, or parasites such as those that may parasite, often by Entamoeba histolytica, the same organism
be intraerythrocytic. that causes amebiasis, an intestinal amoebal infection. The or-
Jejunum Refers to the middle portion of the small intestine, ganism is transported through the circulatory system from the
between the duodenum and the ileum. intestines to the liver.
Jigger The name given to any of several species of small red Liver fluke A trematode, Faciola hepatica, from the phylum
mites (includes Tetranychus irritans and T. americanus) Platyhelminthes. Liver fluke adults are found in human livers
which can penetrate beneath the skin of humans and a number and various other mammals. They feed on blood and produce
of animals, and found mostly in the southern part of the United eggs which are passed into the intestine.
States. Loa loa Also known as Loa loa filariasis and several regional
Joint myalgia Myalgia literally means “muscle pain” and is a and local names. Tropical swelling and African eyeworm is
symptom of many diseases and disorders, but is called “joint commonly heard for a skin and eye disease caused by the nem-
myalgia” when the pain is associated with a joint, where a mus- atode worm. Humans contract the infection through the bite
cle may be attached. of deer or mango fly vectors after which the adult filarial worm
migrates through the subcutaneous tissues of humans.
K Loamy soil Composed of a mixture of sand and silt, and is
perhaps the best soil for agricultural uses; frequently contami-
Karyosome A body included in the chromatin of the nu- nated by hookworm larvae.
cleus that usually stains a darker color than the remainder of Lone star tick The Amblyomma americanum, or lone star
the nucleus; varying appearances useful in identifying some tick, is widespread in the United States, covering an area from
amoebae. Texas north to Iowa in the Midwest east to the Atlantic, and
Katayama disease The disease referred to Schistosoma as far north as Maine. The female tick has a white spot on its
japonicum. back resembling a star. As are most ticks, it is found mostly at
Kinetoplast Small mass that stains darkly and is the base of the edge of wooded areas and especially in forests with thick
the flagellum; provides movement to the flagella. underbrush. The lone star tick is a vector for several parasitic
Kleptoparasitism Parasitism by theft in a literal sense. Klep- pathogens, but is best known as a transmitter of human granu-
toparasites take over food sources from their hosts without locytic ehrlichiosis (HGE).
providing any advantage to the host. Louse Singular form for lice.
Lugol’s iodine First made in 1829; is a solution of elemental
L iodine and potassium iodide dissolved in water. It has had a
variety of uses since first being formulated, including treatment
Laboratory diagnosis Refers to the conducting of labora- for hypothyroidism and for making dirty water potable. In
tory tests to diagnose or to confirm a diagnosis made by other parasitology and bacteriology, it is used primarily for staining
means. starch structures in parasites and in bacteria, and is a compo-
Larvae Demonstrate a distinct juvenile form as a stage of meta- nent of the common Gram stain used for staining bacteria.
morphosis into adults. Lung fluke Parasite known as the lung fluke; is a parasitic
Leech Refers mostly to a bloodsucking aquatic worm or some- flatworm of the species Paragonimus westermani. It is preva-
times a terrestrial worm (similar to an earthworm) of the class lent throughout Africa, Asia, and Latin America, but rarely in
Hirudinea; certain freshwater species were once in wide use North America.