| sex maturation | Achievement of full sexual capacity. Applies to animals and humans. (12 Dec 1998) |
|---|
| maturation | 1. Achievement of full development or growth. 2. Developmental changes that lead to maturity. 3. Processing of a macromolecule; e.g., posttranscriptional modification of RNA or posttranslational modification of proteins. Origin: L. Maturatio, a ripening, fr. Maturus, ripe (05 Mar 2000) |
|---|---|
| maturation arrest | Cessation of complete differentiation of cells at an immature stage; in spermatogenic maturation arrest, the seminiferous tubules contain spermatocytes, but no spermatozoa develop. (05 Mar 2000) |
| maturation factor | <biochemistry> Member of the water soluble B vitamin group, important in the proper function of the nervous system and important in proper carbohydrate, protein and fat metabolism. (27 Sep 1997) |
| maturation index | An index indicating the degree of maturation attained by the vaginal epithelium as adjudged by the cell types being exfoliated; serves as an objective means of evaluating hormonal secretion or response; represents the percentage of parabasal cells/intermediate cells/superficials, in that order; "shift to the left" indicates more immature cells on the surface (atrophy), while "shift to the right" indicates more mature epithelium. (05 Mar 2000) |
| maturation-promoting factor | <enzyme> A protein kinase that drives both the mitotic and meiotic cycles in all eukaryotic organisms. In meiosis it induces immature oocytes to undergo meiotic maturation. In mitosis it has a role in the G2/M phase transition. Once activated by cyclins, maturation-promoting factor directly phosphorylates some of the proteins involved in nuclear envelope breakdown, chromosome condensation, spindle assembly, and the degradation of cyclins. The catalytic subunit of maturation-promoting factor is protein p34cdc2. Acronym: MPF (12 Dec 1998) |
| maturation value | An indicator of the level of maturation attained by vaginal epithelium and used as a factor in cytohormonal evaluation from the maturation index by valuing the parabasal cells at 0.0, the intermediate cells at 0.5, and the superficial cells at 1.0; for special investigations, subtypes of a major cell can be given different values's. (05 Mar 2000) |
| sperm maturation | Posttesticular ripening of spermatozoa. (12 Dec 1998) |
| erythrocyte maturation factor | <biochemistry> Member of the water soluble B vitamin group, important in the proper function of the nervous system and important in proper carbohydrate, protein and fat metabolism. (27 Sep 1997) |
| pili, sex | Filamentous or elongated proteinaceous structures which extend from the cell surface in gram-negative bacteria that contain certain types of conjugative plasmid. These pili are the organs associated with genetic transfer and have essential roles in conjugation. Normally, only one or a few pili occur on a given donor cell. this preferred use of "pili" refers to the sexual appendage, to be distinguished from bacterial fimbriae (fimbriae, bacterial), also known as common pili, which are usually concerned with adhesion. (12 Dec 1998) |
| primary sex characters | The sex glands, testes or ovaries, and the accessory sex organs. (05 Mar 2000) |
| safe sex | Sexual practices that limit the risk of transmitting or acquiring an infectious disease via exchanges of semen, blood, and other bodily fluids, e.g., use of a condom, mutual masturbation, and avoidance of anal intercourse. (05 Mar 2000) |
| heterogametic sex | <biology> The gender which has two different sex chromosomes. For example: In humans, the male is heterogametic because he is XY (has an X chromosome and a Y chromosome). In birds, the female is heterogametic because she is WZ (has a W chromosome and a Z chromosome). Compare: homogametic sex. (09 Oct 1997) |
| secondary sex characters | Those character's peculiar to the male or female that develop at puberty, e.g., the beard of men and the breasts of women. (05 Mar 2000) |
| homogametic sex | <genetics> The gender which has two copies of the same sex chromosome. For example: In humans, the female is homogametic because she is XX (has two copies of the X chromosome). In birds, the male is homogametic because he is ZZ (has two copies of the Z chromosome). Compare: heterogametic sex. (09 Oct 1997) |
| sex | 1. The distinguishing peculiarity of male or female in both animals and plants; the physical difference between male and female; the assemblage of properties or qualities by which male is distinguished from female. 2. One of the two divisions of organic beings formed on the distinction of male and female. 3. <botany> The capability in plants of fertilizing or of being fertilized; as, staminate and pistillate flowers are of opposite sexes. One of the groups founded on this distinction. The sex, the female sex; women, in general. Origin: L. Sexus: cf. F. Sexe. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |