| capacitance | The quantity of electric charge that may be stored upon a body per unit electric potential; expressed in farads, abfarads, or statfarads. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| capacitance flicker | <physiology> Brief closings of an ion channel during ion channel openings, observed during patch clamp (or rapid transition of an ion channel between open and closed states such that the individual channel openings cannot be distinguished properly due to the limited bandwidth of the patch clamp amplifier.) (16 Dec 1997) |
| capacitation | <biology> A process occurring in mammalian sperm after exposure to secretions in the female genital tract. Surface changes take place probably involved with the acrosome which are necessary before the sperm can fertilize an egg. (16 Dec 1997) |
| capacitor | <radiobiology> Device used to store electrical energy by accumulating charge on conductors situated close to one another. Energy may be stored and withdrawn at varying rates. Used in short-pulse plasma devices where only a moderate amount of energy is needed. (09 Oct 1997) |
| capacity | Power or ability to hold, retain or contain or the ability to absorb. Origin: L. Capacitas, from capere = to take (18 Nov 1997) |
| capacity factor | <physics> This is the ratio of the average power output from an electric power plant to the plant's rated capacity. A capacity factor is ideally unity, but invariably less. Capacity factors vary widely between types of electric plants (for example, nuclear, solar, coal, etc.), and can even vary widely for a single type of power plant. <radiobiology> Index (typically in percent) indicating the average power supplied by an energy plant, relative to its maximum rated capacity. Synonym: plant factor, load factor. (13 Jan 1998) |
| capactins | A class of proteins capping the ends of actin filaments. (05 Mar 2000) |