| life expectancy | <epidemiology> Longevity, the average length of life of individuals in a population. (05 Dec 1998) |
|---|---|
| average | <statistics> A value that represents the sum of values divided by the number of values in the set. It represents or summarises the relevant features of a set of values. Origin: M.E. Averays, loss from damage to ship or cargo, fr. It. Avaris, fr. Ar. 'awariya, damaged goods, + damage (05 Mar 2000) |
| average flow rate | <physiology> The flow rate determined by dividing the total volume passed in a time period divided by the time period, usually quoted in mls per minute. (05 Mar 2000) |
| average megawatt | <physics> One megawatt of capacity produced continuously over a period of one year. 1 MWa = 1 MW x 8760 hours/year = 8,760 Mwh = 8,760,000 kWh. Acronym: MWa (05 Dec 1998) |
| average pulse magnitude | <physics> The amplitude of pulse averaged throughout its duration; identical with peak amplitude for a square wave or pulse without droop. (05 Mar 2000) |
| law of average localization | Visceral pain is most accurately localised in the least mobile viscera and least accurately in the most mobile. (05 Mar 2000) |
| advanced life support | Definitive emergency medical care that includes defibrillation, airway management, and use of drugs and medications. Compare: basic life support. (05 Mar 2000) |
| artificial life | Artificial life (AL, alife) is a scientific discipline in whichresearchers study life by creating computer programs that recreatebiological systems from scratch. (09 Oct 1997) |
| basic life support | Emergency cardiopulmonary resuscitation, control of bleeding, treatment of shock, acidosis, and poisoning, stabilization of injuries and wounds, and basic first aid. (05 Mar 2000) |
| biological half-life | <biochemistry, biology> This is the time required for one-half of the total amount of a particular substance in a biological system to be consumed or broken down by biological processes when the rate of removal is approximately exponential. Toxic chemicals with a long biological half-life (such as some pesticides) will tend to accumulate in the body and are, therefore, more likely to be harmful. A substance with a short biological half-life may still accumulate if a portion of it it becomes tightly bound to bone or other tissues, even if most of it is quickly cleared from the body. (21 Mar 1998) |
| vegetative life | The simple metabolic and reproductive activity of humans or animals, apart from the exercise of conscious mental or psychic processes. (05 Mar 2000) |
| germ-free life | Animals not contaminated by or associated with any foreign organisms. (12 Dec 1998) |
| change of life | Colloquialism for menopause, climacteric. (05 Mar 2000) |
| RNA life | <biology, molecular biology> A hypothetical life form lacking DNA and protein which may have existed on early earth and in which RNA served both a genetic coding and a catalytic function. (23 Aug 1998) |
| physical half-life | The time required for half the atoms of a radionuclide to undergo disintegration. (05 Mar 2000) |