DEFINITIONS - LETTER E

ECCENTRIC CONTRACTION - a muscle contraction in which tension is maintained while the muscle is lengthening; as when you are lowering something slowly in your arms

EDEMA - an accumulation of an excessive amount of fluid; edema can occur in any body water compartment

EFFECTOR ORGAN - the target organ of a nerve; the organ that is going to be caused to do something by the action of a nerve

EFFERENT - carrying information away from the spinal nerve; a motor nerve leading from the spinal cord to a muscle is an efferent nerve. (see afferent)

ELECTROLYTE - any substance which will ionize in aqueous solution

EMBOLISM - something blocking a blood vessel; an embolism could be formed by a blood clot, a bacterial plug, a gas bubble or an oil bubble following accidental injection of an oil-based solution into the bloodstream; an embolism could lead to a stroke or heart attack

ENDOTOXINS - toxins released from the damaged cell walls of gram negative bacteria

ETIOLOGY - the causes of diseases or the study of the causes of diseases

EXCHANGE - the transfer of water, nutrients, oxygen and other beneficial substances into tissues (to promote metabolism) and the removal of waste products, carbon dioxide, lactic acid and other non-beneficial substances from tissue (see figure).