Dictionary of Biomedical Sciences

Dictionary of Biomedical Sciences Dictionary of Biomedical Sciences Peter J.Gosling London and New York First published 2002 by Taylor & Francis 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Taylor & Francis Inc, 29 West 35th Street, New York NY 10001 Taylor & Francis is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2002. © 2002 Peter J.Gosling Publisher’s note This book has been prepared from camera-ready copy supplied by the author All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Every effort has been made to ensure that the advice and information in this book is true and accurate at the time of going to press. However, neither the publisher nor the authors can accept any legal responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions that may be made. In the case of drug administration, any medical procedure or the use of technical equipment mentioned within this book, you are strongly advised to consult the manufacturer’s guidelines. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data A catalog record for this book has been requested ISBN 0-203-46934-8 Master e-book ISBN ISBN 0-203-77758-1 (Adobe eReader Format) ISBN 0-415-23723-8 (pbk) ISBN 0-415-24138-3 (hbk) Preface Why write a dictionary of biomedical science? After all, several medical and science dictionaries have been published in the last few years. To answer that question it is first necessary to consider what is meant by ‘biomedical science’. Biomedical science involves and relates biological, medical and physical science. Biomedical scientists must be familiar with a great number of technical terms, many of which are from disciplines other than their own speciality, including anatomy, audiology, biochemistry, biology, chemistry, computing science, cytology, genetics, haematology, histology, mathematics, medicine, microbiology, molecular biology, microscopy, mycology, parasitology, pharmacology, physics, physiology, radiology, statistics, virology, and so on. So the answer to the initial question is that the dictionaries published to date do not provide the mix of terminology within a single volume that is required of biomedical scientists and none have had the aims of the present dictionary. The aim of the present dictionary is to define not just terms from one field of biomedical science but as many as possible of those terms from related disciplines that pop out of the page whenever one reads anything on biomedical science. In fact, were it not that the title is awkward this volume would have been called “A Dictionary for Biomedical Scientists”. Although the dictionary contains no extended essays, and it is not intended to be a dictionary of medical laboratory scientific techniques, formulae and methods, I have, however, tried to give enough material on each term to allow the reader to grasp both its meaning and its significance. By its very nature therefore it was not my intention nor could the dictionary hope to comprehensively cover all the terms used in all disciplines of biomedical science. The expert in any of the disciplines touched upon in compiling this dictionary will undoubtedly find omissions. Those seeking such comprehensive coverage of terms of any particular discipline would do better to consult a volume more specifically targeted to their needs. However it was my intention that the Dictionary of Biomedical Sciences should provide the breadth of knowledge to make it both an informative and useful volume for students and experts alike. Acknowledgements I must acknowledge the constant encouragement and support that my family, Betty and Jim Martin, and Paul and Kathy Gosling, have freely provided, without which this work would not have been accomplished. Notes on use The order of headings is based on the alphabetical sequence of letters in the term, ignoring spaces, hyphens, accents, and numerals. (Thus A-band is to be found between ABA and aberration). No headings are inverted, for example, there is an entry under gamma radiation, and not under radiation, gamma. Headings defined appear in bold type and cross-references appear in SMALL CAPITALS. Plurals formed by the addition of ‘s’ have not usually been regarded, but abnormal formations may be given. The term ‘abbreviations’ includes contracted and shortened forms of words and phrases, and acronyms and initials. I have followed the common practice of omitting the full point after each initial in abbreviations but have used them when a word has been truncated. (Thus AAM has no full points but chemo. does). Throughout the dictionary I have supplied American spellings to words where they differ from those in current use in the United Kingdom. A A (1,2 physics) An abbreviation for 1 A-alpha fibre (histology) An alternative ‘A’mplitude. 2 An abbreviation for term for ALPHA MOTOR NEURON. (USA: ‘A’mpere. A-alpha fiber). Aa (chemistry) An abbreviation of AAM (society) An abbreviation of ‘A’bsolute ‘a’lcohol. ‘A’merican ‘A’ssociation for ‘M’icrobiology. AA (society) An abbreviation for AAPCC (society) An abbreviation of ‘A’lcoholics ‘A’nonymous. ‘American ‘A’ssociation of ‘P’oison ‘C’ontrol ‘C’enters. AAA (1 chemistry; 2 society) 1 Amino- acid lysine. 2 An abbreviation of AAPS (society) An abbreviation of ‘A’merican ‘A’ssociation of ‘A’natomists. ‘A’merican ‘A’ssociation for the ‘P’romotion of ‘S’cience. AAAN (education) An abbreviation of ‘A’merican ‘A’cademy of ‘A’pplied AAS (1,2, education; 3 physics) An ‘N’utrition. abbreviation of 1 ‘A’ustralian ‘A’cademy of ‘S’cience. 2 An abbreviation of AAAS (society) An abbreviation of ‘A’ssociate in ‘A’pplied ‘S’cience. 3 An ‘A’merican ‘A’ssociation for the abbreviation of ‘A’tomic ‘A’bsorption ‘A’dvancement of ‘S’cience. ‘S’pectrometry. AAB (society) An abbreviation ‘A’ssociation AASH (physiology/biochemistry) An of ‘A’pplied ‘B’iologists. of abbreviation of ‘A’drenal ‘A’ndrogen- ‘S’timulating ‘H’ormone. AABB (society) An abbreviation of ‘A’merican ‘A’ssociation of ‘B’lood AAVS (society) An abbreviation of ‘B’anks. ‘A’merican ‘A’nti-‘V’ivisection ‘S’ociety. AACC (society) An abbreviation of a/b (pathogenicity and epidemiology) ‘A’merican ‘A’ssociation of ‘C’linical An abbreviation of ‘a’ir‘b’orne. Also termed ‘C’hemists. abn. AACT (education) An abbreviation of AB (1 medical; 2 haematology) 1 An ‘A’merican ‘A’cademy of ‘C’linical ‘T’oxicology. abbreviation of ‘A’sthmatic ‘B’ronchitis. 2 A human BLOOD type of the ABO GROUP. AAFS (education) An abbreviation of ‘A’merican ‘A’academy of ‘F’orensic ABA (biochemistry) An abbreviation of ‘S’ciences. ‘A’drenergic ‘B’locking ‘A’gent. 1 A-BAND ABN A-band (histology) One of the alternating ANALYSIS. PRECIPITATION of CHOLE- bands of extrafusal MUSCLE FIBRE (USA: STEROL esters after an initial extraction muscle fiber), seen through a MICROSCOPE separates esterified from free CHOLE- as a dark band, which corresponds to STEROL, permitting measurement of only the thick MYOSIN filaments. the free FRACTION. ABC (physiology/biochemistry) An abbre- aberration (1 physics; 2 genetics) 1 viation of ‘A’TP-‘B’inding ‘C’assette. The production of an IMAGE with coloured (USA: colored) fringes that occurs because ABD (governing body) An abbreviation the FOCAL LENGTH of a LENS is different of ‘A’merican ‘B’oard of ‘D’ermatology. for different colours of LIGHT (CHROMATIC ABERRATION), so that the LENS focuses abd (radiology) An abbreviation of different colours in different planes; ‘a’verage ‘b’ody ‘d’ose. or the production of an IMAGE that is not sharp when a beam of LIGHT falls abdom. (anatomy) An abbreviation of on the edges as well as on the centre ‘abdom’en or ‘abdom’inal. (USA: center) of a LENS (SPERICAL ABERRATION). 2 Change in the number abdomen (abdom.) (anatomy) The part or the structure of chromosomes in a of the trunk between the THORAX and CELL. the PELVIS. It is separated above from the THORAX by a muscular partition See also MUTATION. called the DIAPHRAGM, and below by the PELVIC floor. The structures which ABFT (governing body) An abbreviation make up the abdominal wall are SKIN, of ‘A’merican ‘B’oard of ‘F’orensic fat of varying thickness, MUSCLE, another ‘T’oxicology. layer of fat, and the thin, slippery MEMBRANE abiogenesis (biology) Theory of the called the PERITONEUM which lines the ORIGIN of life which states that living abdominal cavity. The PERITONEUM, which organisms gradually formed from non- is rather like wet cellophane, covers ill living material. the internal organs in the abdominal cavity. The abdomen contains the STOMACH, See also SPONTANEOUS GENERATION. and most of the organs of the digestive system i.e. the small and LARGE INTESTINE abiotic (biology) Nonliving; in biomedical with the APPENDIX and CAECUM, and science used primarily for the nonliving the LIVER and PANCREAS, Other abdominal parts of ecosystems, or of the organs include the kidneys, the ADRENAL ENVIRONMENT in general. GLANDS, the SPLEEN, and some large and important BLOOD VESSELS including ablation (medical) Surgical removal the AORTA and the INFERIOR VENA of an ORGAN or part of an ORGAN. CAVA. The PROSTATE GLAND in the male and the UTERUS, ovaries and ABMT (governing body) An abbreviation FALLOPIAN TUBES in the female are in of ‘A’merican ‘B’oard of ‘M’edical the PELVIS below the abdominal cavity. ‘T’oxicology. Abell-Kendall Method (biochemistry) A abn (pathogenicity) An abbreviation chemical method of CHOLESTEROL of ‘a’ir‘b’or‘n’e.

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