| foetal organ maturity | <embryology> Functional competence of specific foetal organs or body systems. In humans, it is usually assessed by analysis of amniotic fluid, as in the assessment of foetal lung maturity by analysis for components of pulmonary surfactant. (08 Mar 2000) |
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| fetal | Of or pertaining to a foetus, pertaining to in utero development after the embryonic period. (18 Nov 1997) |
| maturity | A state of full development or completed growth. (05 Mar 2000) |
| maturity-onset diabetes | Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| maturity onset diabetes of youth | A relatively mild, non-insulin requiring form of diabetes mellitus beginning at a younger age than usual. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Columbia Mental Maturity Scale | An individually administered intelligence test that provides an estimate of the intellectual ability of children; provides mental ages ranging from 3 to 12 years, and requires no verbal response and minimal motor response. Origin: Columbia University, NY (05 Mar 2000) |
| annulospiral organ | One of two types of sensory nerve ending associated with a neuromuscular spindle (the other being the flower-spray ending); after entering the muscle spindle, the fibre divides into two flat ribbon-like branches that wind themselves in rings or spirals about the intrafusal muscle fibres. Synonym: annulospiral organ. (05 Mar 2000) |
| auditory organ | Archaic term for gustatory organ. (05 Mar 2000) |
| bojanus organ | <zoology> A glandular organ of bivalve mollusca, serving in part as a kidney. Origin: From Bojanus, the discoverer. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| vestibular organ | Collective term for the utricle, saccule, and saemicircular ducts of the membranous labyrinth, each having a single patch of ciliated receptor epithelium innervated by the vestibular nerve: macula of sacculus, macula of utriculus, and cristae of the saemicircular ducts. (05 Mar 2000) |
| vestibulocochlear organ | The external, middle, and internal ear. Synonym: organum vestibulocochleare. (05 Mar 2000) |
| vestigial organ | A rudimentary structure in humans corresponding to a functional structure or organ in the lower animals. (05 Mar 2000) |
| visual organ | The eye and its adnexa. Synonym: organum visus, organ of vision. (05 Mar 2000) |
| vomeronasal organ | A specialised part of the olfactory system located anteriorly in the nasal cavity within the nasal septum. Chemosensitive cells of the vomeronasal organ project via the vomeronasal nerve to the accessory olfactory bulb. The primary function of this organ appears to be in sensing pheromones which regulate reproductive and other social behaviours. While the structure has been thought absent in higher primate adults, data now suggests it may be present in adult humans. (12 Dec 1998) |
| Golgi tendon organ | <cell biology, physiology> A proprioceptive sensory nerve ending embedded among the fibres of a tendon, often near the musculotendinous junction; it is compressed and activated by any increase of the tendon's tension, caused either by active contraction or passive stretch of the corresponding muscle. Synonym: neurotendinous organ, neurotendinous spindle. (05 Mar 2000) |