| ALE | active life expectancy; allowable limits of error; amputated lower extremity |
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| 'Greek letter alpha' | angular acceleration; first [carbon atom next to the carbon atom bearing the active group in organic... |
| AP | accessory pathway; accounts payable; acid phosphatase; acinar parenchyma; action potential; active p... |
| AR | absolute risk; accounts receivable; achievement ratio; actinic reticuloid [syndrome]; active resista... |
| ARC | accelerating rate calorimetry; acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-related complex; active renin conc... |
| primary mesoderm | Extraembryonic ectoderm cells or tissues which, though derived from the zygote, are not part of the embryo proper and along with the extraembryonic mesoderm form the foetal membranes (e.g., amnion). Synonym: primary mesoderm. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| primary metabolism | Metabolic processes central to most cells; e.g., biosynthesis of macromolecules, energy production, turnover, etc. (05 Mar 2000) |
| primary metabolite | A metabolite excreted during the growth phase. (09 Oct 1997) |
| primary methemoglobinaemia | Methemoglobinaemia due to formation of any one of a group of abnormal a chain or b chain haemoglobins collectively known as haemoglobin M. Slate-gray cyanosis occurs in early infancy, without pulmonary or cardiac disease, and is resistant to ascorbic acid or methylene blue therapy; autosomal dominant inheritance, methemoglobinaemia due to deficiency of cytochrome b5 reductaseor methemoglobin reductase, the enzyme responsible for reduction of intraerythrocyte methemoglobin; cyanosis is improved by ascorbic acid or methylene blue; autosomal recessive inheritance, one case of methemoglobinaemia has been reported that apparently is due to a deficiency of cytochrome b5. Synonym: hereditary methemoglobinaemia, hereditary methemoglobinaemic cyanosis, primary methemoglobinaemia. (05 Mar 2000) |
| primary myeloid metaplasia | Myeloid metaplasia occurring as the primary condition, often in association with myelofibrosis. Synonym: agnogenic myeloid metaplasia. (05 Mar 2000) |
| primary narcissism | In psychoanalysis, the original psychic energy embodied or invested in the ego. (05 Mar 2000) |
| primary neurasthenia | A form of nervous exhaustion appearing in the adolescent period. Synonym: primary neurasthenia. (05 Mar 2000) |
| primary neuroendocrine carcinoma of the skin | A rare malignant cutaneous tumour seen in sun-exposed skin of elderly patients composed of dermal nodules of small round cells with scanty cytoplasm in a trabecular pattern; the tumour cells contain cytoplasmic dense core granules resembling neurosecretory granules seen in Merkel cells. Synonym: primary neuroendocrine carcinoma of the skin, trabecular carcinoma. (05 Mar 2000) |
| primary neuronal degeneration | <disease> A progressive, neurodegenerative disease characterised by loss of function and death of nerve cells in several areas of the brain leading to loss of cognitive function such as memory and language. The cause of nerve cell death is unknown but the cells are recognised by the appearance of unusual helical protein filaments in the nerve cells (neurofibrillary tangles) and by degeneration in cortical regions of brain, especially frontal and temporal lobes. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia. (22 May 1997) |
| primary nodule | A lymphatic nodule having small lymphocytes and lacking a germinal centre. (05 Mar 2000) |
| primary nondisjunction | Nondisjunction occurring in a previously normal cell. (05 Mar 2000) |
| primary nursing care | The primary responsibility of one nurse for the planning, evaluation, and care of a patient throughout the course of illness, convalescence, and recovery. (12 Dec 1998) |
| primary oocyte | <cell biology, gynaecology> The enlarging ovum before maturity is reached, as opposed to the secondary oocyte or polar body. (18 Nov 1997) |
| primary organiser | The organiser situated on the dorsal lip of the blastopore. (05 Mar 2000) |
| primary ovarian follicle | An ovarian follicle before the appearance of an antrum; marked by developmental changes in the oocyte and follicular cells so that the latter form one or more layers of cuboidal or columnar cells; the follicle becomes surrounded by a sheath of stroma, the theca. Synonym: folliculus ovaricus primarius. (05 Mar 2000) |