| germ-free life | Animals not contaminated by or associated with any foreign organisms. (12 Dec 1998) |
|---|---|
| change of life | Colloquialism for menopause, climacteric. (05 Mar 2000) |
| RNA life | <biology, molecular biology> A hypothetical life form lacking DNA and protein which may have existed on early earth and in which RNA served both a genetic coding and a catalytic function. (23 Aug 1998) |
| physical half-life | The time required for half the atoms of a radionuclide to undergo disintegration. (05 Mar 2000) |
| wrongful life | In civil law a cause of action which alleges that a defendant has wrongfully caused a child to be born. (12 Dec 1998) |
| postnatal life | That interval of life after birth; in man, usually divided into periods: neonatal, infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. (05 Mar 2000) |
| half-life | 1. <pharmacology> The period over which the concentration of a specified chemical or drug takes to fall to half its original concentration in the specified fluid or blood. 2. <radiobiology> The time required to reduce the amount of a radionuclide to one-half the amount originally present. Physical or radioactive half-life refers to reduction of activity by radioactive decay, biological half-life refers to biological elimination from the body and effective half-life refers to the combined action of radioactive decay and biological elimination. (16 Dec 1997) |
| prenatal life | That interval of life between conception and birth; in humans, usually divided into embryonic and foetal periods. (05 Mar 2000) |
| sexual life | In psychiatry and psychoanalysis, the specifically erotic or sexual interests, fantasies, inclinations, and conduct of the patient. (05 Mar 2000) |
| direct life cycle | <epidemiology> A life cycle in which a parasite is transmitted directly from one host to the next without an intermediate host or vector of another species. (05 Dec 1998) |
| drug half-life | The amount of time it takes for one-half of an administered drug to be lost through biological processes (metabolism and elimination). (27 Sep 1997) |
| immediately dangerous to life concentration | <radiobiology> This is a regulatory value defined as the maximum exposure concentration in the workplace from which one could escape within 30 minutes without suffering symptoms which would interfere with escaping and without suffering any irreversible health effects. (04 Nov 1997) |
| quality adjusted life year | A year of life adjusted for its quality or its value. A year in perfect health is considered equal to 1.0 qaly. The value of a year in ill health would be discounted. For example, a year bedridden might have a value equal to 0.5 qaly. A measurement index derived from a modification of standard life-table procedures and designed to take account of the quality as well as the duration of survival. This index can be used in assessing the outcome of health care procedures or services. (12 Jul 2000) |
| quality of life | Refers to the level of comfort, enjoyment, ability to pursue daily activities. Often used in discussions of treatment options. (16 Dec 1997) |
| indirect life cycle | <epidemiology> A life cycle which requires one or more intermediate hosts before the definitive host species is reinfected. Compare direct, nondirect. (05 Dec 1998) |