| artificial kidney | A machine for haemodialysis in acute or chronic renal failure; toxic substances in the blood are removed by exposure to dialyzing fluid across a semipermeable membrane. Synonym: artificial kidney. Ultrafiltration haemodialyzer, a haemodialyzer that uses fluid pressure differentials to bring about loss (usually) of protein-free fluid from the blood to the bath, as in certain edematous conditions. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| artificial Kissingen salt | A mixture of potassium chloride, sodium chloride, anhydrous magnesium sulfate, and sodium bicarbonate; an antacid and laxative. (05 Mar 2000) |
| artificial life | Artificial life (AL, alife) is a scientific discipline in whichresearchers study life by creating computer programs that recreatebiological systems from scratch. (09 Oct 1997) |
| artificial limbs | Prosthetic replacements for arms, legs, and parts therof. (12 Dec 1998) |
| artificial melanin | A dark pigment, resembling melanin, formed from glucosamines in chitin. Synonym: artificial melanin, factitious melanin. (05 Mar 2000) |
| artificial neural net | Artificial Neural Nets (ANN) are computer models of biological nerve cell networks. (09 Oct 1997) |
| artificial organs | Devices intended to replace non-functioning organs. They may be temporary or permanent. Since they are intended always to function as the natural organs they are replacing, they should be differentiated from prostheses and implants and specific types of prostheses which, though also replacements for body parts, are frequently cosmetic (eye, artificial) as well as functional (artificial limbs). (12 Dec 1998) |
| artificial pacemaker | Any device that substitutes for the normal pacemaker and controls the rhythm of the organ; especially an electronic cardiac pacemaker, which may be implanted in the chest, with electrodes attached to the external cardiac surface, or passed through the venous circulation into the right side of the heart (pervenous pacemaker). (05 Mar 2000) |
| artificial passive immunity | See: acquired immunity. (05 Mar 2000) |
| artificial pneumothorax | Pneumothorax produced by the injection of air, or a more slowly absorbed gas such as nitrogen, into the pleural space to collapse the lung. (05 Mar 2000) |
| artificial pupil | An opening made by excision of a portion of the iris in order to improve the vision in cases of central opacity of the cornea or lens. (05 Mar 2000) |
| artificial respiration | Application of mechanically or manually generated pressures, usually positive, to gas(es) in or about the airway as a means of producing gas exchange between the lungs and surrounding atmosphere. Synonym: artificial respiration. (05 Mar 2000) |
| artificial selection | <genetics> The selective breeding by humans towards a desired trait in a plant, animal, or other organism which is of value (usually economic) to the humans. The process operates on the same principles as natural selection. (09 Oct 1997) |
| artificial sphincter | A sphincter produced by surgical procedures to reduce speed of flow in the digestive system or to maintain continence of the intestine. (05 Mar 2000) |
| artificial stone | A specially calcined gypsum derivative similar to plaster of Paris, but stronger, because the grains are nonporous. (05 Mar 2000) |
| eye, artificial | A ready-made or custom-made prosthesis of glass or plastic shaped and coloured to resemble the anterior portion of a normal eye and inserted for cosmetic reasons in the socket of an enucleated or eviscerated eye. (12 Dec 1998) |
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| yeast artificial chromosome | <molecular biology> A vector system that allows extremely large segments of DNA to be cloned. Useful in chromosome mapping, contiguous yeast artificial chromosomes covering the whole Drosophila genome and certain human chromosomes are available. Acronym: YAC (15 Nov 1997) |
| yeast artificial chromosomes | Yeast DNA sequences that have incorporated into them very large foreign DNA fragments; the recombinant DNA is then introduced into the yeast by transformation; the use of yeast artificial chromosomes permits the cloning of large genes with their flanking regulatory sequences. (05 Mar 2000) |
| kidney, artificial | Device(s) which can substitute for normally functioning kidneys in cleansing the blood. (12 Dec 1998) |
| urinary sphincter, artificial | An artifical implanted device, usually in the form of an inflatable silicone cuff, inserted in or around the bladder neck in the surgical treatment of urinary incontinence caused by sphincter weakness. Often it is placed around the bulbous urethra in adult males. The artificial urinary sphincter is considered an alternative to urinary diversion. (12 Dec 1998) |
| larynx, artificial | A device, activated electronically or by expired pulmonary air, which simulates laryngeal activity and enables a laryngectomised person to speak. Examples of the pneumatic mechanical device are the tokyo and van hunen artificial larynges. Electronic devices include the western electric electrolarynx, tait oral vibrator, cooper-rand electrolarynx and the ticchioni pipe. (12 Dec 1998) |
| liver, artificial | Devices for simulating the activities of the liver. They often consist of a hybrid between both biological and artificial materials. (12 Dec 1998) |