Definition: Biopsy means taking a sample of tissue from the body for medical examination. Most often a biopsy is done to examine the tissue for disease. For example, a biopsy may be taken of an abnormal growth or change in the body or on the skin.
A biopsy may be done with a needle and syringe (called percutaneous biopsy) to remove a small piece of tissue. Usually the person is awake for this. A skin biopsy may be done by numbing an area of skin and then removing a sample. A person may also have a biopsy done while he is asleep under anesthesia if the tissue needs to be removed from inside the body.
Pronunciation: BI-op-see
