| anaerobic | 1. Lacking molecular oxygen. 2. Growing, living or occurring in the absence of molecular oxygen, pertaining to an anaerobe. (18 Nov 1997) |
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| anaerobic bacteria | Bacteria which thrive in the absence of oxygen. (27 Sep 1997) |
| anaerobic digester | This is a bioreactor foranaerobically digesting sewage-laced wastewater.In it, anaerobic bacteriaproduce a mix of methane and carbon dioxide, asmuch as 90% of the chemical energy in the wastewater can be converted to methane, which is typically exhausted continuously and collected for useas a fuel or for a reagent for other industrial chemical reactions. (09 Oct 1997) |
| anaerobic digestion | A biochemical process by which organic matter is decomposed by bacteria in the absence of oxygen, producing methane and other byproducts. (05 Dec 1998) |
| anaerobic respiration | Respiration under anaerobic conditions. The terminal electron acceptor, instead of oxygen in the case of regular respiration, can be: carbon dioxide, Fe2+, fumarate, nitrate, nitrite, nitrous oxide, sulphur, sulphate, etc. Note that anaerobic respiration still uses the electron transport chain to dump the electron while fermentation does not. (09 Oct 1997) |
| anaerobic threshold | The oxygen consumption level above which aerobic energy production is supplemented by anaerobic mechanisms during exercise, resulting in a sustained increase in lactate concentration and metabolic acidosis. The anaerobic threshold is affected by factors that modify oxygen delivery to the tissues; it is low in patients with heart disease. Methods of measurement include direct measure of lactate concentration, direct measurement of bicarbonate concentration, and gas exchange measurements. (12 Dec 1998) |
| gram-negative anaerobic bacteria | <microbiology> A large group of anaerobic bacteria which show up as pink (negative) when treated by the gram-staining method. (12 Dec 1998) |
| gram-negative anaerobic cocci | <microbiology> A group of anaerobic coccoid bacteria that show up as pink (negative) when treated by the gram-staining method. (12 Dec 1998) |
| gram-negative anaerobic straight, curved, and helical rods | <microbiology> A group of anaerobic, rod-shaped bacteria that show up as pink (negative) when treated by the gram-staining method. (12 Dec 1998) |
| gram-negative facultatively anaerobic rods | <microbiology> A large group of facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped bacteria that show up as pink (negative) when treated by the gram-staining method. (12 Dec 1998) |
| anodal closure contraction | An obsolete term for the momentary contraction of a muscle under the influence of the positive pole when the electrical circuit is established. (05 Mar 2000) |
| anodal opening contraction | An obsolete term for the momentary contraction of a muscle under the influence of the positive pole when the circuit is broken. (05 Mar 2000) |
| atrial premature contraction | <cardiology> An premature heartbeat of atrial origin. Generally nonserious and typically exacerbated by stimulant use (for example alcohol, decongestants, caffeine, nicotine). (27 Sep 1997) |
| automatic contraction | In contrast to forced beat, an ectopic beat that arises de novo and is not precipitated by the preceding beat; thus escaped and parasystolic beat's are automatic. Synonym: automatic contraction. (05 Mar 2000) |
| braxton hicks contraction | Rhythmic uterine muscle activity which occurs during the course of a pregnancy which causes no pain for the patient. (27 Sep 1997) |