Glossary

List of terms beginning with Ba

Bacteria: One- cell organisms, some of which can cause disease. They are found in soil, air and water and also in the tissues of humans, plants and animals.
Barium enema: Mixture of barium sulphate and water inserted into the anus to permit x-ray examination of the stomach or intestines. X-rays cannot pass through the barium and so the outline of the intestines or stomach shows up on the X-ray.
Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC): A cancer that develops in cells found in the deepest layer of the skin - basal cells.
Bases: Major components of DNA. They are made up of nitrogen and carbon atoms in a ring structure. There are two types of bases: purines (adenine and guanine, known as A and G) and pyrimidines (cytosine and thymine, known as C and T). The bases stick to each other in pairs in the DNA double helix. A binds to T, and C binds to G. The order of bases in the DNA molecule determines the order of amino acids in the proteins it encodes.