lighteningA feeling experienced by
many pregnant women when the baby’s
head descends into the pelvic cavity.
Lightening usually occurs in the final 3
weeks of pregnancy, leaving more space
in the upper abdomen and relieving
pressure under the diaphragm.
light treatmentSee phototherapy.
lignocaineFormer name for lidocaine.
limb, artificialAn artificial leg or arm,
known medically as a prosthesis, which is
fitted to replace a limb that has been
missing from birth or lost as a result of
amputation(seelimb defects).
limb defectsIncomplete development
of one or more limbs at birth. Limb
defects are rare and may be inherited or
form part of a syndrome. In a condition
called phocomelia, hands, feet, or tiny
finger- or toe-buds are attached to limb
stumps or grow directly from the trunk.
The sedative drug thalidomide, when
taken by pregnant women, is known to
have caused phocomelia in fetuses.
limbic systemA ring-shaped area in
the centre of the brainconsisting of a
number of connected clusters of nerve
cells. The limbic system plays a role in
influencing the autonomic nervous sys-
tem, which automatically regulates body
functions; the emotions; and the sense
of smell. The system is extensive, and
contains various different substructures
including the hippocampus, the cingu-
late gyrus, and the amygdala.can be estimated
assuming that pat-
terns of health and
illness in a commu-
nity do not change.
life supportThe
process of keeping
a person alive by
artificially inflating
the lungs (see ven-
tilation) and, if it is
needed, maintain-
ing the heartbeat.
ligamentA band
of tough, fibrous,
partly elastic tis-
sue. Ligaments are
important compo-
nents of joints; they bind the bone ends
together and prevent excessive move-
ment. They also support various internal
organs. Minor ligament injuries such as
sprainsare treated with ice, bandaging,
and sometimes physiotherapy. If a liga-
ment has been torn (ruptured), the joint
is either immobilized by a plaster castto
allow healing or repaired surgically.
ligationThe surgical process of tying off
a ductor a blood vessel with a ligature
in order to stop bleeding. The term is
used in tubal ligation, a form of steril-
ization in which the fallopian tubes are
tied off (see sterilization, female).
ligatureA length of thread or other
material used for ligation.LIMBIC SYSTEML
LIMBIC SYSTEMLOCATIONParahippocampal
Amygdala gyrusOlfactory bulbColumn of fornixCingulate gyrus FornixSeptum pellucidumMamillary
bodyPonsHippocampusMidbrainBoneSynovial
fluidSynovial
membraneCartilageLigamentTYPICAL JOINTBrainstemLIGAMENTLIFE SUPPORT