| inborn error of metabolism | A genetic biochemical disorder of a specific enzyme that forms a metabolic block, e.g., phenylketonuria. (05 Mar 2000) |
|---|---|
| inborn errors of metabolism | Term coined by A. Garrod in 1908 applying to heritable disorders of biochemistry. Examples include albinism, cystinuria (a cause of kidney stones) and phenylketonuria (pku) are a few of the hundreds of inborn errors of metabolism. (12 Dec 1998) |
| intermediary metabolism | Enzyme-catalysed processeswithin cells that extract energy from nutrientmolecules and use that energy to construct cellular components. (09 Oct 1997) |
| iron metabolism disorders | Disorders in the processing of iron in the body: its absorption, transport, storage, and utilization. (12 Dec 1998) |
| oxidative metabolism | Respiration in the biochemical sense. (18 Nov 1997) |
| electrolyte metabolism | The chemical changes that various essential minerals (e.g., sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium) undergo in the tissues. (05 Mar 2000) |
| energy metabolism | Those metabolic reactions whose role is to release or to provide energy. (05 Mar 2000) |
| fat metabolism | Oxidation, decomposition, and synthesis of fats in the tissues. (05 Mar 2000) |
| fructose metabolism, inborn errors | Inherited abnormalities of fructose metabolism, which include three known autosomal recessive types: hepatic fructokinase deficiency (essential fructosuria), hereditary fructose intolerance, and hereditary fructose-1,6-diphosphatase deficiency. Essential fructosuria is a benign asymptomatic metabolic disorder caused by deficiency in fructokinase, leading to decreased conversion of fructose to fructose-1-phosphate and alimentary hyperfructosaemia, but with no clinical dysfunction; may produce a false-positive diabetes test. (12 Dec 1998) |
| action current | An electrical current induced in muscle fibres when they are effectively stimulated; normally it is followed by contraction. (05 Mar 2000) |
| alternating current | Electrical current which alternates direction periodically. (For instance, household electric current is AC alternating at 60 oscillations/sec (60 Hertz) in the United States, and 50 Hertz in many other countries.) Acronym: AC (09 Oct 1997) |
| anodal current | A current produced in tissues under the anode when the circuit is closed. (05 Mar 2000) |
| ascending current | The direction of current flow in a nerve when the anode is placed peripheral to the cathode, in contrast to descending current; the convention used is that current flows from positive to negative. Synonym: centripetal current. (05 Mar 2000) |
| axial current | The central rapidly moving portion of the bloodstream in an artery. (05 Mar 2000) |
| bootstrap current | <radiobiology> Currents driven in toroidal devices by neo-classical diffusion. They may amount to a substantial fraction of the net current in a tokamak reactor, thus lengthening the pulse time or decreasing the power needed for current drive. (09 Oct 1997) |