Glossary A

Glossary A

Atavism refers to a concept used by Cesare Lombroso to suggest that criminals are physiological throwbacks to earlier stages of human evolution. This is a term derived from the Latin term

Deutsch: Atavistische Stigmata / Español: Estigmas Atávicos / Português: Estigmas Atavísticos / Français: Stigmates Ataviques / Italiano: Stigmi Atavici /

Atavistic Stigmata refers to a key element in early biological theories of criminality; physical characteristics, believed to represent an earlier stage of human evolution, which could be used to differentiate the criminal from normal people.

Ataxia refers to the inability to maintain normal postures and perform normal movements. Movements are jerky and uncoordinated, without the smooth flow of normal motion.

Atharva-Veda refers to the 700 B.C. Indian text that proposed that the soul was non-material and never died.

Atheoretical refers to research that is not influenced by a particular theory.

Atheromatous plaques refers to deposits of cholesterol and other lipids, connective tissue, and muscle tissue.

Atherosclerosis refers to a major cause of heart disease; caused by the narrowing of the arterial walls due to the formation of plaques that reduce the flow of blood through the arteries and interfere with the passage of nutrients from the capillaries into the cells. It is a disease characterized by gradual narrowing of the coronary arteries; a disease caused by the accumulation of fatty substances in the blood vessels. It is a pathological condition in which fatty substances collect inside the lumen of arteries; the formation of plaque within the arteries.

Athetosis refers to one form of cerebral palsy that is characterized by frequent involuntary movements.