| MRU | mass radiography unit; minimal reproductive unit |
|---|---|
| PFU | plaque-forming unit; pock-forming unit |
| PICU | pediatric intensive care unit; pulmonary intensive care unit |
| PSU | photosynthetic unit; primary sampling unit |
| PU | palindromic unit; passed urine; pepsin unit; peptic ulcer; pregnancy urine; 6-propyluracil; prostati... |
| lung unit | A respiratory bronchiole together with the alveolar ducts and sacs and pulmonary alveoli into which the respiratory bronchiole leads, considered by some to include the terminal bronchiole and its subdivisions, and called a pulmonary acinus. (05 Mar 2000) |
|---|---|
| adipokinetic hormone | An anterior pituitary hormone that causes mobilization of fat from adipose tissue. Synonym: adipokinetic hormone. (05 Mar 2000) |
| adrenal androgen-stimulating hormone | A putative pituitary hormone that may be responsible for increased secretion of adrenal androgens at the time of puberty. (05 Mar 2000) |
| adrenocorticotrophic hormone | <endocrinology> A peptide hormone that is produced by the anterior pituitary gland. It stimulates the adrenal cortex to secrete glucocorticoid hormones, which help cells synthesise glucose, catabolize proteins, mobilizefree fatty acids and inhibit inflammation in allergic responses. (10 May 1997) |
| adrenocorticotropic hormone | The hormone of the anterior lobe of the hypophysis which governs the nutrition and growth of the adrenal cortex, stimulates it to functional activity, and also possesses extraadrenal adipokinetic activity; it is a polypeptide containing 39 amino acids, but exact structure varies from one species to another; sometimes prefixed by a to distinguish it from beta-corticotropin. The first thirteen amino acids at the N-terminal region are identical to alpha-melanotropin. Synonym: adrenocorticotropin, adrenotropic hormone, adrenotropin, corticotropic hormone, corticotropin. (05 Mar 2000) |
| adrenotropic hormone | The hormone of the anterior lobe of the hypophysis which governs the nutrition and growth of the adrenal cortex, stimulates it to functional activity, and also possesses extraadrenal adipokinetic activity; it is a polypeptide containing 39 amino acids, but exact structure varies from one species to another; sometimes prefixed by a to distinguish it from beta-corticotropin. The first thirteen amino acids at the N-terminal region are identical to alpha-melanotropin. Synonym: adrenocorticotropin, adrenotropic hormone, adrenotropin, corticotropic hormone, corticotropin. (05 Mar 2000) |
| androgenic hormone | <endocrinology> A male (masculinising) hormone. These medications (testosterone, methyltestosterone, fluoxymesterone, danazol) are used to treat androgen deficiency, delayed puberty in males and some forms of breast cancer. (27 Sep 1997) |
| anterior pituitary-like hormone | A glycoprotein with a carbohydrate fraction composed of d-galactose and hexosamine, extracted from the urine of pregnant women and produced by the placental trophoblastic cells; its most important role appears to be stimulation, during the first trimester, of ovarian secretion of the oestrogen and progesterone required for the integrity of conceptus; it appears to play no significant role in the last two trimesters of pregnancy, as the oestrogen and progesterone are then formed by the placenta. Synonym: anterior pituitary-like hormone, choriogonadotropin, chorionic gonadotropic hormone, chorionic gonadotrophic hormone, placenta gonadotropin, placentagonadotropin. (05 Mar 2000) |
| antidiuretic hormone | <endocrinology> A peptide hormone released from the posterior pituitary lobe but synthesised in the hypothalamus. There are 2 forms, differing only in the amino acid at position 8: arginine vasopressin is widespread, while lysine vasopressin is found in pigs. Has antidiuretic and vasopressor actions. Used in the treatment of diabetes insipidus. Acronym: ADH (13 Nov 1997) |
| bovine growth hormone | <endocrinology> A hormone secreted by the bovine pituitary gland. It is used to increase milk production by improving the feed efficiency in dairy cattle. (14 Nov 1997) |
| cardiac hormone | A substance present in extracts of cardiac tissue that augments cardiac contraction; possibly adenosine, a catecholamine, or some non-specific stimulant present generally in tissues. Synonym: cardiac hormone, heart hormone. (05 Mar 2000) |
| galactopoietic hormone | <protein> Pituitary lactogenic hormone (23 kD) Synthesised on endoplasmic reticulum bound ribosomes as preprolactin that has an N terminal signal peptide that is cleaved from the mature form. The conversion of preprolactin to prolactin has been much used as an assay for membrane insertion. (18 Nov 1997) |
| gametokinetic hormone | An acidic glycoprotein hormone of the anterior pituitary that stimulates the graafian follicles of the ovary and assists subsequently in follicular maturation and the secretion of estradiol; in the male, it stimulates the epithelium of the seminiferous tubules and is partially responsible for inducing spermatogenesis. Synonym: follicle-stimulating hormone, follicle-stimulating principle, gametokinetic hormone. Origin: follicle + G. Trope, a turning, + -in (05 Mar 2000) |
| pancreatic hyperglycaemic hormone | A polypeptide hormone (3485 D) secreted by the cells of the Islets of Langerhans in response to a fall in blood sugar levels. Induces hyperglycaemia. A family of structurally related peptides includes glucagon like peptides 1 & 2 (encoded by the same gene), gastric inhibitory polypeptide, secretin, vasoactive intestinal peptide, growth hormone releasing factor, pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide, exendins. (18 Nov 1997) |
| gastrointestinal hormone | <endocrinology> A general term for any hormone which is secreted by some part of the digestive system for the purpose of aiding digestion. For example: gastrin. (09 Oct 1997) |