Reference Terms
from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Abortion
An abortion is the removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus from the uterus, resulting in or caused by its death. This can occur spontaneously as a miscarriage, or be artificially induced through chemical, surgical or other means. Commonly, "abortion" refers to an induced procedure at any point in the pregnancy; medically, it is defined as a miscarriage or induced termination before twenty weeks' gestation, which is considered nonviable.
A pregnancy that ends earlier than 37 complete weeks of gestation, and where an infant is born and survives, is termed a premature birth. A pregnancy that ends with an infant dead upon birth at any gestational stage, due to causes including spontaneous abortion or complications during delivery, is termed a stillbirth.
In common parlance, the term "abortion" is synonymous with induced abortion of a human fetus. However, in medical texts, the word 'abortion' can also refer to spontaneous abortion (miscarriage).
Related Stories
1
2
Health & Medicine News
March 12, 2026
Mar. 12, 2026 Researchers have discovered a surprising change in how cells produce energy in people with depression. Brain and blood cells in young adults with major depressive disorder produced more energy molecules at rest but had trouble increasing energy ...
Mar. 12, 2026 A new study suggests Alzheimer’s disease may be detectable through subtle shape changes in proteins found in the blood. Researchers discovered that structural differences in three blood proteins closely track the progression of the disease. By ...
Mar. 11, 2026 A newly developed antibiotic called EVG7 could offer a powerful new way to stop Clostridioides difficile, a dangerous gut bacterium that often returns after treatment. In mouse studies, researchers ...
Mar. 11, 2026 Coenzyme A, a molecule derived from vitamin B5, is vital for metabolism throughout the body. Scientists discovered that most of it resides inside mitochondria, yet how it reached these cellular ...
Mar. 11, 2026 Scientists have developed a promising new approach to treating Alzheimer’s disease by turning ordinary brain cells into powerful plaque-clearing machines. Instead of requiring frequent antibody infusions like current therapies, the experimental ...
Mar. 11, 2026 A European clinical trial found that the drug sulthiame significantly reduced breathing interruptions in people with moderate to severe sleep apnea. Patients taking higher doses experienced up to 47% fewer pauses in breathing and improved oxygen ...
Mar. 11, 2026 THC doesn’t just blur memories—it can create new ones that never happened. In a controlled experiment, cannabis users were much more likely to recall words that were never shown and struggled with tasks like remembering to do something later. ...
Mar. 10, 2026 A major international trial has found that daily fish oil supplements significantly reduced life-threatening cardiovascular events in dialysis patients. People who took four grams per day had a 43% ...
Mar. 10, 2026 Cancer often begins when the genetic instructions that guide our cells become scrambled, allowing cells to grow uncontrollably. Now, scientists at EMBL have developed an AI-powered system called MAGIC that can automatically spot and tag cells ...
Mar. 10, 2026 Scientists at Oregon Health & Science University have developed a new molecule that could open the door to treating triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive and difficult-to-treat ...
Mar. 10, 2026 Colorblindness may be doing more than making traffic lights confusing — it could also be hiding a life-threatening warning sign. Researchers analyzing millions of medical records found that people ...
Mar. 10, 2026 A new analysis of more than 422,000 patients reveals a stark Alzheimer’s care gap between Maryland’s urban and rural communities. Rural regions often lack hospitals and dementia specialists, forcing older patients to travel farther for diagnosis ...
Latest Headlines
updated 12:56 pm ET
Mar. 9, 2026 Researchers have found hundreds of metabolic enzymes attached to human DNA inside the cell nucleus. Different tissues and cancers show unique patterns of these enzymes, forming a “nuclear metabolic ...
Mar. 9, 2026 Exercise normally boosts the body’s ability to use oxygen, a key marker of health and longevity — but high blood sugar can block that benefit. Researchers found that a ketogenic diet helped mice ...
Mar. 9, 2026 Pre-workout supplements promising extra energy for workouts may come with a hidden cost: severely reduced sleep. A study of people aged 16–30 found users were more than twice as likely to sleep ...
Mar. 8, 2026 A Yale study found that lowering parent stress can help protect young children from obesity. When parents practiced mindfulness and stress-management ...
Mar. 8, 2026 A new brain-imaging study has revealed how ketamine produces its fast antidepressant effects in people with treatment-resistant depression. Researchers tracked changes in a critical brain receptor ...
Mar. 8, 2026 A massive UK study of more than 165,000 dementia patients has uncovered troubling new evidence about risperidone, a commonly used drug for severe agitation. Researchers found the antipsychotic ...
Mar. 8, 2026 A growing trend called “fibermaxxing” is putting dietary fiber in the spotlight—and for good reason. Fiber plays a powerful role in keeping the body healthy, from supporting digestion and ...
Mar. 8, 2026 Scientists are exploring a new way to harness the medical promise of psychedelic compounds without the mind-bending side effects. Researchers created ...
Mar. 8, 2026 Scientists have uncovered a surprising new role for little-known brain cells called tanycytes that may influence the development of Alzheimer’s ...
Mar. 8, 2026 Scientists have revealed how the body’s microscopic cold sensor, TRPM8, detects both chilly temperatures and the cooling effect of menthol. The discovery finally shows how the sensation of ...