Glossary O
Glossary O
Ordinary means of treatment are interventions to support life that have predictable and well-recognized outcomes; that offer no unusual risk, suffering, or burden for the person being treated or for others; and that are effective; such interventions are thought to be obligatory in some systems of moral theology and bioethics
Ordinate is the vertical axis (see y-axis) of a graph, upon which the levels of a dependent variable are often represented; the vertical axis (or Y-axis) in a graph.
Oregon "Death with Dignity Act” refers to a legislation that went into effect in October 1997 in the state of Oregon which specifies the conditions under which a terminally ill, adult resident of the state is permitted to request that a physician provide a prescription for lethal medication that an individual can use to end his or her life. It is commonly described as authorizing physician-assisted suicide.
Orexin (hypocretin) refers to a neurotransmitter that stimulates acetylcholine-releasing cells and thereby increases wakefulness and arousal.