guidebook. - Fanconi Anemia Research Fund

Glossary
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Giardia: A microscopic organism, Giardia lamblia, that
causes Giardiasis, an infection of the small intestine. 5
Gingival atrophy: Recession of the gums around the
teeth.
Glomerular filtration rate (GFR): A test used to
check how well the kidneys are working. Specifically,
it estimates how much blood passes through the tiny
filters in the kidneys, called glomeruli, each minute.
The GFR test measures how well kidneys are filtering
a waste called creatinine, which is produced by the
muscles. When the kidneys aren’t working as well as
they should, creatinine builds up in the blood. 5
Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c): The test represents
average blood sugar over the life span of the red
cell by measuring glycated hemoglobin in the blood.
Glycated hemoglobin is a substance in red blood
cells formed when blood sugar (glucose) attaches to
hemoglobin. It can measure blood sugar control over
several months and can give a good estimate of how
well a patient has managed diabetes over the last 2 or 3
months. 5
GM-CSF: Drug that stimulates the marrow to make
more white blood cells. See Colony-stimulating factors.
Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH): Normally,
the hypothalamus in the brain releases GnRH, which
stimulates the pituitary gland to release other hormones,
including FSH and LH. These hormones then stimulate
the female ovaries and male testes to secrete hormones
that are responsible for normal sexual development in
puberty and are important to the process of ovulation
in females. A disruption in this chain of events causes a