| microscopic | 1. Of extremely small size, visible only by the aid of the microscope. 2. Pertaining or relating to a microscope or to microscopy. (18 Nov 1997) |
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| microscopic anatomy | The branch of anatomy in which the structure of cells, tissues, and organs is studied with the light microscope. See: histology. (05 Mar 2000) |
| microscopic field | The area within which objects are visible with microscope oculars and objectives of various magnifying powers. (05 Mar 2000) |
| microscopic haematuria | Presence of blood cells in uncatheterised urine, visible only under the microscope. (05 Mar 2000) |
| microscopic section | 1. The act of cutting, or separation by cutting; as, the section of bodies. 2. A part separated from something; a division; a portion; a slice. Specifically: A distinct part or portion of a book or writing; a subdivision of a chapter; the division of a law or other writing; a paragraph; an article; hence, the character, often used to denote such a division. "It is hardly possible to give a distinct view of his several arguments in distinct sections." (Locke) A distinct part of a country or people, community, class, or the like; a part of a territory separated by geographical lines, or of a people considered as distinct. "The extreme section of one class consists of bigoted dotards, the extreme section of the other consists of shallow and reckless empirics." (Macaulay) One of the portions, of one square mile each, into which the public lands of the United States are divided; one thirty-sixth part of a township. These sections are subdivided into quarter sections for sale under the homestead and preemption laws. 3. <geometry> The figure made up of all the points common to a superficies and a solid which meet, or to two superficies which meet, or to two lines which meet. In the first case the section is a superficies, in the second a line, and in the third a point. 4. A division of a genus; a group of species separated by some distinction from others of the same genus; often indicated by the sign . 5. A part of a musical period, composed of one or more phrases. See Phrase. 6. The description or representation of anything as it would appear if cut through by any intersecting plane; depiction of what is beyond a plane passing through, or supposed to pass through, an object, as a building, a machine, a succession of strata; profile. In mechanical drawing, as in these Illustrations of a cannon, a longitudinal section (a) usually represents the object as cut through its center lengthwise and vertically; a cross or transverse section (b), as cut crosswise and vertically; and a horizontal section (c), as cut through its center horizontally. Oblique sections are made at various angles. In architecture, a vertical section is a drawing showing the interior, the thickness of the walls, ets, as if made on a vertical plane passed through a building. <mathematics> Angular sections, an instrument to aid in drawing a series of equidistant parallel lines, used in representing sections. Thin sections, a section or slice, as of mineral, animal, or vegetable substance, thin enough to be transparent, and used for study under the microscope. Synonym: Part, portion, division. Section, Part. The English more commonly apply the word section to a part or portion of a body of men; as, a section of the clergy, a small section of the Whigs, etc. In the United States this use is less common, but another use, unknown or but little known in England, is very frequent, as in the phrases "the eastern section of our country," etc, the same sense being also given to the adjective sectional as, sectional feelings, interests, etc. Origin: L. Sectio, fr. Secare, sectum, to cut; akin to E. Saw a cutting instrument: cf. F. Section. See Saw, and cf. Scion, Dissect, Insect, Secant, Segment. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| microscopic sphincter | A sphincter visible only under the microscope. (05 Mar 2000) |
| marker, object | <microscopy> A small abrasive stylus, set in a rotating holder mounted on the lower end of the drawtube. The desired part of the specimen is placed in the centre of the field, and the abrasive point is pressed against the slide or cover, and rotated. It describes a tiny circle around the desired object field. (05 Aug 1998) |
| object | 1. That which is put, or which may be regarded as put, in the way of some of the senses; something visible or tangible; as, he observed an object in the distance; all the objects in sight; he touched a strange object in the dark. 2. That which is set, or which may be regarded as set, before the mind so as to be apprehended or known; that of which the mind by any of its activities takes cognizance, whether a thing external in space or a conception formed by the mind itself; as, an object of knowledge, wonder, fear, thought, study, etc. "Object is a term for that about which the knowing subject is conversant; what the schoolmen have styled the "materia circa quam."" (Sir. W. Hamilton) "The object of their bitterest hatred." (Macaulay) 3. That by which the mind, or any of its activities, is directed; that on which the purpose are fixed as the end of action or effort; that which is sought for; end; aim; motive; final cause. "Object, beside its proper signification, came to be abusively applied to denote motive, end, final cause. This innovation was probably borrowed from the French." (Sir. W. Hamilton) "Let our object be, our country, our whole country, and nothing but our country." (D. Webster) 4. Sight; show; appearance; aspect. "He, advancing close Up to the lake, past all the rest, arose In glorious object." (Chapman) 5. A word, phrase, or clause toward which an action is directed, or is considered to be directed; as, the object of a transitive verb. Object glass, the lens, or system of lenses, placed at the end of a telescope, microscope, etc, which is toward the object. Its office is to form an image of the object, which is then viewed by the eyepiece. Called also objective. Object lesson, a lesson in which object teaching is made use of. Object staff. Same as Leveling staff. Object teaching, a method of instruction, in which illustrative objects are employed, each new word or idea being accompanied by a representation of that which it signifies; used especially in the kindergarten, for young children. Origin: L. Objectus. See Object. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| object attachment | Emotional attachment to someone or something in the environment. (12 Dec 1998) |
| object blindness | Visual agnosia for objects. The subjet sees the object, but cannot identify it; due to a lesion in area 18 of the occipital cortex. Synonym: object blindness, psychanopsia, psychic blindness. (05 Mar 2000) |
| object choice | In psychoanalysis, the object (usually a person) upon which psychic energy is centreed. (05 Mar 2000) |
| object constancy | The tendency for objects to be perceived as unchanging despite variations in the positions in and conditions under which the objects are observed; e.g., a book's shape is always perceived as a rectangle regardless of the visual angle from which it is viewed. (05 Mar 2000) |
| object field | <microscopy> A position lying in the front focal plane of the objective. (05 Aug 1998) |
| object glass | 1. <psychology> Perceptible to the external senses. 2. <ophthalmology> The lens or system of lenses in a microscope (or telescope) that is nearest to the object under examination. Origin: L. Objectivus (18 Nov 1997) |
| object relationship | In the behavioural sciences, the emotional bond between an individual and another person (or between two groups), as opposed to the individual's (or group's) interest in him or herself (itself). (05 Mar 2000) |