| relative leukocytosis | An increased proportion of one or more types of leukocytes in the circulating blood, without an actual increase in the total number of white blood cells. (05 Mar 2000) |
|---|---|
| relative molecular mass | The sum of the atomic weight's of all the atoms constituting a molecule; the mass of a molecule relative to the mass of a standard atom, now 12C (taken as 12.000). Relative molecular mass (Mr) is the mass relative to the dalton and has no units. See: atomic weight. Synonym: molecular mass, molecular weight ratio, relative molecular mass. (05 Mar 2000) |
| relative polycythemia | A relative increase in the number of red blood cells as a result of loss of the fluid portion of the blood. (05 Mar 2000) |
| relative refractory period | The period between the effective refractory period and the end of the refractory period; fibres then respond only to high intensity stimuli and the impulses conduct more slowly than normally. (05 Mar 2000) |
| relative risk | <epidemiology> The proportion of diseased people amongst those exposed to the relevant risk factor divided by the proportion of diseased people amongst those not exposed to the risk factor. This should be used in those cohort studies where those with and without disease are followed to observe which individuals become diseased. (05 Dec 1998) |
| relative scotoma | A scotoma in which there is visual depression but not complete loss of light perception. (05 Mar 2000) |
| relative sensitivity | The sensitivity of a medical screening test as determined by comparison with the same type of test; e.g., sensitivity of a new serological test relative to sensitivity of an established serological test. (05 Mar 2000) |
| relative specificity | The specificity of a medical screening test as determined by comparison with the same type of test (e.g., specificity of a new serological test relative to specificity of an established serological test). (05 Mar 2000) |
| relative value scales | Coded listings of physician or other professional services using units that indicate the relative value of the various services they perform. They take into account time, skill, and overhead cost required for each service, but generally do not consider the relative cost-effectiveness. Appropriate conversion factors can be used to translate the abstract units of the relative value scales into dollar fees for each service based on work expended, practice costs, and training costs. (12 Dec 1998) |
| relative viscosity | The ratio of the viscosity of a solution or dispersion to the viscosity of the solvent or continuous phase. (05 Mar 2000) |
| brain diseases, metabolic | Metabolic disorders which lead to pathological changes and/or functional deviations of the brain. (12 Dec 1998) |
| metabolic | 1. <biology> Of or pertaining to metamorphosis; pertaining to, or involving, change. 2. <physiology> Of or pertaining to metabolism; as, metabolic activity; metabolic force. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| metabolic acidosis | <biochemistry> A metabolic derangement of acid-base balance where the blood pH is abnormally low. Causes include haemorrhagic shock, cardiogenic shock, severe dehydration, sepsis, toxic ingestion (for example isopropyl alcohol, methanol), alcoholic ketoacidosis, lactic acidosis, renal failure and diabetic ketoacidosis. Respiratory acidosis will occur if the lungs are not ventilating properly. (27 Jun 1999) |
| metabolic alkalosis | <biochemistry> A metabolic derangement where the pH of the blood is abnormally high (basic). This condition may result from hyperventilation, the use of a particular drug, excessive vomiting or dehydration (contraction alkalosis). (27 Jun 1999) |
| metabolic burst | <biochemistry> Response of phagocytes to particles (particularly if opsonise d) and to agonists such as formyl peptides and phorbol esters, an enhanced uptake of oxygen leads to the production, by an NADH dependent system, of hydrogen peroxide, superoxide anions and hydroxyl radicals, all of which play a part in bactericidal activity. Defects in the metabolic burst, as in chronic granulomatous disease, predispose to infection particularly with catalase positive bacteria and are usually fatal in childhood. (27 Jun 1999) |