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Glite Dictionary
galactosemia

galactosemia

1 9.9
A rare inherited disorder where the body cannot break down galactose, a sugar in milk
  • noun
  • /ɡəˌlæk.təˈsiː.mi.ə/
  • Specialized
: galactosemia
  • Understanding galactosemia is essential for healthcare providers to ensure proper management of affected infants.
  • newborns for galactosemia

Examples

  • Hereditary conditions like cystic fibrosis, Huntington's disease, galactosemia, and hemophilia, just to name a few, already cause tremendous anguish for patients and families who are so afflicted.

    Academic text (2001)

  • Children with galactosemia must follow a strict diet to avoid dangerous health complications.

  • A newborn diagnosed with galactosemia may require immediate medical intervention to prevent serious harm.

Surface Forms

galactosemia singular
galactosemias plural

Morphology

galactosemia = galactose (semi-transparent) = galactose + emia

The word is clearly formed from 'galactose' + the medical suffix '-emia' (blood condition), but '-emia' is specialised medical vocabulary that many learners may not know.

Etymology

Galactosemia comes from the Greek root galact- meaning 'milk' and the ending -emia meaning 'blood', and the same galact- is in the word galaxy, which links to the idea of the Milky Way or something 'milky'. So, galactosemia is a condition where the sugar from milk builds up in the blood because the body cannot break it down.