Afghanistan Traditional Medicine License Exam key terms

The study of the structure and organization of the human body, including its organs, tissues, and their physical relationships, forming a foundation for understanding how the body functions and how treatments affect it.

The study of how the body's organs and systems normally function, including processes such as circulation, digestion, respiration, and nerve signaling, used to distinguish healthy function from disease.

The study of disease: its causes, the changes it produces in cells, tissues, and organs, and the resulting signs and symptoms, providing the basis for recognizing and classifying illness.

The body's tendency to keep internal conditions such as temperature, fluid balance, and blood chemistry within stable ranges through continuous adjustment, a concept used to explain how health is maintained and how illness disrupts balance.

Measurable indicators of basic body function, typically pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate, temperature, and oxygen saturation, recorded to detect abnormalities and monitor a patient's condition over time.

A traditional system of medicine rooted in Greco-Arabic thought that explains health as a balance of four humors and four qualities, using diet, drugs, and regimen to restore equilibrium, widely practiced in Afghanistan and South Asia.

The four body fluids of Unani theory: blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. Their relative balance is believed to determine health, and their disturbance is thought to cause disease.

The Unani term for the humors, referring collectively to blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile, whose quantity and quality are assessed to explain and classify illness.

The Unani concept of a person's individual temperament or constitutional balance of qualities such as hot, cold, wet, and dry, which guides drug selection and dietary advice tailored to the patient.

A person's characteristic constitutional type under traditional theory, described in terms of qualities and humoral predominance, used to predict how that individual responds to foods, drugs, and environmental conditions.

The therapeutic use of plant materials, such as leaves, roots, seeds, and extracts, to prevent or treat illness, practiced within traditional systems and subject to quality and safety requirements.

The organized body of knowledge about medicinal substances, describing their source, appearance, active constituents, actions, uses, doses, and safety concerns, used as a reference for prescribing and dispensing.

A plant species, or part of one, recognized for containing substances with therapeutic activity and used as raw material for preparing traditional remedies and herbal products.

A chemical compound or group of compounds in a medicinal substance believed to produce its therapeutic effect, important for standardizing preparations and predicting dose and toxicity.

A specific chemical substance measured in a herbal material or product to confirm identity, quality, or consistency, even when it is not the only compound responsible for the therapeutic effect.

The process of controlling a herbal preparation so that its identity, content of specified compounds, and quality fall within defined limits, helping ensure consistent dose and effect between batches.

The set of tests and procedures applied to raw materials and finished products to confirm identity, purity, strength, and freedom from contamination, ensuring that what is dispensed is safe and as labeled.

The deliberate or accidental substitution, dilution, or contamination of a medicinal material with inferior or foreign substances, a common quality problem that can cause treatment failure or harm.

The process of confirming that a plant or medicinal material is the correct species and part, using macroscopic, microscopic, organoleptic, or chemical methods before it is used or dispensed.

An official reference book that sets recognized standards for the identity, purity, strength, and preparation of medicines, used by dispensers and regulators to judge whether a product meets required quality.

A preparation made by simmering plant material in water for a set time and then straining it, commonly used to extract water-soluble constituents from roots, barks, and tougher plant parts.

A preparation made by pouring hot water over plant material, usually leaves or flowers, steeping it covered for a short period, and straining, used for delicate materials whose volatile components could be lost by boiling.

A concentrated preparation obtained by removing solvent from a plant material, available in liquid, soft, or dry forms, allowing a larger amount of herb to be delivered in a smaller dose.

A liquid preparation made by soaking plant material in a mixture of alcohol and water and then filtering, which extracts a broad range of compounds and can be dosed by drops or milliliters.

The solvent, such as water, alcohol, or a mixture, used to extract active substances from a medicinal material during preparation of tinctures, extracts, or other liquid forms.

The study of medicine dosage, including how much to give, how often, and for how long, adjusted for factors such as age, body weight, condition, and individual response.

The physical form in which a medicine is prepared and given, such as powder, tablet, syrup, decoction, ointment, or suppository, chosen to suit the route of administration and the patient.

A written instruction from an authorized practitioner specifying the medicine, its form, strength, dose, frequency, and duration for a particular patient, serving as the legal basis for dispensing.

The professional act of preparing, labeling, and supplying a medicine to a patient according to a prescription, including checking the dose, giving instructions, and recording the transaction.

The information placed on a medicine's container, such as its name, ingredients, strength, batch number, expiry date, dose, and directions, required to ensure safe and correct use.

The period during which a stored medicine is expected to remain within its approved quality standards if kept under stated conditions, after which it should not be dispensed or used.

The ability of a medicine to keep its identity, strength, and purity over time under specified storage conditions, affected by factors such as heat, light, moisture, and air.

The specified environment in which a medicine must be kept, such as temperature range, protection from light, and protection from moisture, needed to preserve its quality until use.

A change in the effect of a medicine caused by a herbal product taken at the same time, which may increase toxicity or reduce effectiveness and must be considered when advising patients.

An unwanted or harmful effect that occurs after use of a medicine or herbal product, ranging from mild symptoms to serious injury, which should be recorded and reported.

The systematic collection, assessment, and reporting of information about adverse effects and other safety problems with medicines, used to detect risks and improve safe use.

A condition or circumstance in which a particular treatment should not be used because the risk of harm outweighs the expected benefit, such as a specific illness, pregnancy, or concurrent medicine.

The structured process of gathering information about a patient through history taking, observation, and examination to identify the problem and plan appropriate traditional treatment.

The identification of a patient's condition from the pattern of symptoms, signs, history, and examination findings, forming the basis for selecting a treatment plan.

Assessment of the pulse by palpation, noting rate, rhythm, strength, and character, used in both conventional and traditional practice as an indicator of health and humoral state.

A patient's voluntary agreement to a treatment after receiving clear information about its nature, expected benefits, possible risks, and alternatives, documented before care proceeds.

The professional duty to keep a patient's personal and medical information private and to share it only with those authorized or as required by law.

The principles guiding a practitioner's conduct, including honesty, competence, respect for patients, avoidance of harm, and maintenance of proper boundaries and accountability in practice.

The range of activities, treatments, and responsibilities that a licensed practitioner is legally permitted and competent to perform, defined by training, law, and professional standards.

The official authorization granted by a regulatory authority allowing a person to practice traditional medicine, usually after meeting education, examination, and other requirements.

The rules and legal requirements set by government or an authorized body to govern the practice, products, premises, and advertising of traditional medicine, protecting the public.

The practices and procedures, such as hand hygiene, clean equipment, and safe waste handling, used to prevent the spread of infection between patients and practitioners in a care setting.

Cleaning the hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based product at the correct moments, the single most important measure for preventing transmission of infection during patient care.

A process that destroys all microorganisms, including spores, on equipment or materials, used for items that must be completely free of infectious agents before reuse.

A process that reduces or eliminates many disease-causing microorganisms on surfaces or equipment, though not necessarily spores, used where full sterilization is not required or possible.

The organized effort to protect and improve the health of populations through prevention, health education, surveillance, and regulation, complementing the care given to individual patients.

Communicating clear, accurate information to patients and communities about prevention, healthy behavior, and correct medicine use, so that people can make informed decisions about their health.

The study of medicinal substances from natural sources, covering their botanical identity, chemistry, preparation, and therapeutic use, linking plant science to pharmacy practice.