Consistency
Consistency (medicine)
Consistency (pronunciation: /kənˈsɪstənsi/) in the field of medicine refers to the physical state or texture of a substance, often used in the context of bodily fluids or tissues. The term is derived from the Latin word 'consistentia', meaning 'standing together'.
Etymology
The term 'consistency' originates from the Latin 'consistentia', which translates to 'standing together'. It was first used in the English language in the 1590s to describe the physical state or condition of matter.
Medical Usage
In medicine, consistency is used to describe the physical properties of substances, such as the hardness, softness, elasticity, or viscosity of tissues or fluids. For example, doctors may refer to the consistency of a tumor or a lymph node during a physical examination. Changes in consistency can often indicate a medical condition or disease.
Related Terms
- Viscosity: A measure of a fluid's resistance to flow. It describes the internal friction of a moving fluid. A fluid with large viscosity resists motion because its molecular makeup gives it a lot of internal friction.
- Elasticity: The ability of an object or material to resume its normal shape after being stretched or compressed; stretchiness.
- Tumor: An abnormal growth of tissue resulting from uncontrolled, progressive multiplication of cells and serving no physiological function; a neoplasm.
- Lymph node: Each of a number of small swellings in the lymphatic system where lymph is filtered and lymphocytes are formed.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Consistency
- Wikipedia's article - Consistency
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