| LAS | laboratory automation system; lateral amyotrophic sclerosis; laxative abuse syndrome; left anterior-... |
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| RA | radioactive; ragocyte; ragweed antigen; rapidly adapting [receptors]; reactive arthritis; reciprocal... |
| SAID | specific adaptation to imposed demand [principle] |
| SAS | sarcoma amplified sequence; self-rating anxiety scale; short arm splint; Sklar Aphasia Scale; sleep ... |
| RBE | Relative Biological Effectiveness |
| space adaptation syndrome | <syndrome> Alterations in normal physiology that occur during prolonged exposure to weightlessness, unless preventive measures are taken. Characterised by muscle atrophy, loss of mineral from bones, cardiovascular changes, etc. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| dark adaptation | The adjustment of the eye occurring under reduced illumination in which the sensitivity to light is greatly increased or the light threshold is greatly reduced. Dark adaptation is slower than light adaptation. During dark adaptation rhodopsin is built up in the retinal rods. (12 Dec 1998) |
| light adaptation | The visual adjustment occurring under increased illumination in which the retinal sensitivity to light is reduced. See: light-adapted eye. Synonym: photopic adaptation. (05 Mar 2000) |
| biological | Pertaining to biology. (18 Nov 1997) |
| biological agent | <microbiology> A disease-causing microorganism or virus, or other toxic biological matter, which is used as a weapon during war. (21 Mar 1998) |
| biological assay | <technique> Once a pharmaceutical protein is isolated from the cells in which it was grown, researchers perform tests to measure the protein's biological activity. It must maintain a certain minimal level of biological activity to be used for animal or clinical testing or, later, for market. Researchers also test to confirm that the isolated protein is identical to the desired protein. (21 Mar 1998) |
| biological assessment | A specific process required as part of an environmental assessment. An evaluation of potential effects of a proposed project on proposed, endangered, threatened, and sensitive animal and plant species and their habitats. (05 Dec 1998) |
| biological availability | The extent to which the active ingredient of a drug dosage form becomes available at the site of drug action or in a biological medium believed to reflect accessibility to a site of action. (12 Dec 1998) |
| biological chemistry | The scientific study of the chemistry of living cells, tissues, organs and organisms. (09 Oct 1997) |
| biological clock | <biology, physiology> An internal biological mechanism which controls certain biological rhythms and biocycles, such as metabolism, sleep cycles, photosynthesis. (21 Mar 1998) |
| biological clocks | The physiological mechanisms that govern the rhythmic occurrence of certain biochemical, physiological, and behavioural phenomena in plants and animals. The pineal gland, which receives input from the optic nerves and connects to the hypothalamus, may be the biological clock in humans. (12 Dec 1998) |
| biological coefficient | Rarely used term denoting the energy expended by the body at rest. (05 Mar 2000) |
| biological containment | <molecular biology> Refers to any number of methods to contain genetically engineered organisms by creating biochemical barriers to prevent them from growing outside the laboratory. In the case of bacteria and yeasts, genes in the organisms may be altered so that they need to have a supply of a nutrient that is normally found only in the laboratory. (21 Mar 1998) |
| biological control | <agriculture> The agricultural use of living things, such as parasites, diseases, and predators, to control or eliminate others, such as weeds and pests, rather than by using chemicals (herbicides and pesticides). (21 Mar 1998) |
| biological dressings | Human or animal tissue used as temporary wound coverings. (12 Dec 1998) |