Glossary
M
- Malignant
- The term that describes a tumour that invades and destroys the tissue in which it originates and which is capable of spreading locally or metastasising.
- Mammary gland
- A gland that secretes milk.
- Mammography
- A radiographic means of examining the tissues of the breast.
- Mastectomy
- Removal of the whole breast.
- Melanin
- Pigment in the skin, the amount of which determines the darkness of the skin.
- Melanoma
- A form of skin cancer that affects the pigment producing cell in the skin and is capable of spreading rapidly through the body.
- Membrane
- 1. A thin, pliable layer of tissue covering surfaces or separating or connecting regions, structures, or organs of an animal or a plant. 2. Cell membrane.
- Menarche
- The time at which menstruation first begins.
- Menopause
- The cessation of production of an egg by the ovaries. The menopause happens naturally in women aged 45-55 years and can be induced prematurely by surgical removal of the ovaries.
- Menstrual cycle
- The periodic, 4-weekly sequence of events in sexually mature women which prepares the body for reproduction by producing an egg and growing the endometrial lining of the uterus for implantation.
