| pleural plaque | Fibrous thickening of the parietal pleura, characteristically caused by inhalation exposure to asbestos. (05 Mar 2000) |
|---|---|
| haemolytic plaque assay | <investigation> A haemolytic plaque assay is a lab technique used to show that certain antibodies are secreted by antibody-making cells when these cells are mixed with red blood cells. The mixture is spread onto a plate of agar, if a plaque appears, it means that the red blood cells have been destroyed (by haemolysis) by the antibodies. (09 Oct 1997) |
| senile plaque | <neurology> Characteristic feature of the brains of Alzheimer's patients and aged monkeys, consisting of a core of amyloid fibrils surrounded by dystrophic neurites. The principal component of amyloid fibrils in senile plaques is B/A4, a peptide of about 4 kD that is derived from the larger amyloid precursor protein (APP). The B/A4 sequence is located near the C terminus of APP. (18 Nov 1997) |
| small plaque parapsoriasis | See: parapsoriasis en plaque. Synonym: small plaque parapsoriasis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| neuritic plaque | <cell biology> Abnormal cluster of dead and dying nerve cells, other brain cells and protein. Neuritic plaques are one of the characteristic structural abnormalities found in the brains of alzheimer patients. Upon autopsy, the presence of neuritic plaques andneurofibrillary tangles is used to positively diagnose Alzheimer's disease. (22 May 1997) |
| dental plaque | <dentistry> A soft, thin film of food debris, mucin and dead epithelial cells deposited on the teeth, providing the medium for the growth of various bacteria. The main inorganic components are calcium and phosphorus with small amounts of magnesium, potassium and sodium, the organic matrix consists of polysaccharides, proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and other components. Plaque plays an important aetiological role in the development of dental caries and periodontal and gingival diseases and provides the base for the development of materia alba, calcified plaque forms dental calculus. (19 Mar 1998) |
| dental plaque index | An index which scores the degree of dental plaque accumulation. (12 Dec 1998) |
| fibrous plaque | Thickened area of arterial intima with accumulation of smooth muscle cells and fibrous tissue (collagen etc.) produced by the fat laden smooth muscle cells. Below the thickening may be free extracellular lipid and debris that, if much necrosis is also present, is referred to as an atheroma. (18 Nov 1997) |
| acetyl reduction assay | <investigation> A technique for measuring the nitrogen fixation activity in photosynthetic organisms. It uses a flame ionisation detector and a gas chromatography apparatus to determine the reduction of acetylene to ethylene by the enzyme nitrogenase. (06 May 1997) |
| reduction | <orthopaedics, surgery> The correction of a fracture, dislocation or hernia. (18 Nov 1997) |
| reduction deformity | Congenital absence or attenuation of one or more body parts; usually of the limbs or limb components. (05 Mar 2000) |
| reduction division | The first cell division in meiosis, the process by which germ cells are formed. A unique event in which the chromosome number is reduced from diploid (46 chromosomes) to haploid (23 chromosomes). Also called first meiotic division or first meiosis. (12 Dec 1998) |
| reduction en masse | Reduction of hernial sac and contents, so that intestinal obstruction is still present. (05 Mar 2000) |
| reduction mammaplasty | Plastic surgery of the breast to reduce its size and (frequently) to improve its shape and position. (05 Mar 2000) |
| reduction nucleus | A nucleus that degenerates in the cell during the changes incident to fertilization. (05 Mar 2000) |