| secretory component | <physiology> A glycoprotein found in a variety of external secretions (tears, bile, colostrum) usually complexed to secreted polymeric immunoglobulins (IgA or, less frequently IgM). It is derived, by proteolytic cleavage, from the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (receptors, polymeric immunoglobulin) and probably functions to protect the immunoglobulins from proteolysis in the secretions. (12 Dec 1998) |
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| secretory component of IgA | <immunology, protein> A polypeptide chain of about 60 kD that aids secretion of the IgA, a portion of the IgA receptor on the plasmalemma of the inner side of the epithelial cells lining the gut, which is proteolysed when the IgA receptor complex has travelled through the cell after receptor mediated endocytosis at the inner face, to the outer (luminal) face. (18 Nov 1997) |
| serum amyloid P component | Precursor of amyloid component P, found in basement membrane. Member of the pentraxin family. See: serum amyloid. (18 Nov 1997) |
| two-component plasma | <radiobiology> Refers to a plasma containing a cool thermal component and a population of high energy particles (such as from neutral beam injection) which are in the process of thermalising (slowing down). (09 Oct 1997) |
| fast component | <molecular biology> A segment of eukaryotic DNA consisting of highly-repeated nucleotide sequences which, when the entire duplex DNA molecule is denatured (the double-stranded helix comes apart and becomes single strands) and then allowed to renature (the complementary single strands come together to form a helix), will be the first segment to renature. (09 Oct 1997) |
| general somatic afferent column | In the embryo, a column of gray matter in the hindbrain and spinal cord, represented in the adult by the sensory nuclei of the trigeminal nerve and relay cells in the dorsal horn. (05 Mar 2000) |
| general somatic efferent column | A column of gray matter in the embryo, represented in the adult by the nuclei of the oculomotor, trochlear, abducens, and hypoglossal nerves and by motor neurons of the ventral horn of the spinal cord. (05 Mar 2000) |
| psychiatric somatic therapies | The biologic treatment of mental disorders (e.g., electroconvulsive therapy), in contrast with psychotherapy. (stone, american psychiatric glossary, 1988, p159) (12 Dec 1998) |
| somatic | 1. Pertaining to or characteristic of the soma or body. 2. Pertaining to the body wall in contrast to the viscera. Origin: Gr. Somatikos (18 Nov 1997) |
| somatic agglutinin | An agglutinin that is formed as the result of stimulation by, and that reacts with, the relatively thermostable antigen(s) in the cell bodies of microorganisms. Synonym: somatic agglutinin. See ABO blood group. (05 Mar 2000) |
| somatic antigen | An antigen located in the cell wall of a bacterium in contrast to one in the flagella (flagellar antigen) or in a capsule (capsular antigen). (05 Mar 2000) |
| somatic arteries | Artery's that arise in the embryo from the dorsal aorta and supply the body wall; they persist almost unchanged as the posterior intercostal, subcostal, and lumbar artery's. (05 Mar 2000) |
| somatic cell | Usually any cell of a multicellular organism that will not contribute to the production of gametes, i.e. most cells of which an organism is made: not a germ cell. Notice, however, the alternative use in somatic mesoderm. (18 Nov 1997) |
| somatic cell gene therapy | The repair or replacement of a defective gene within somatic tissue. (09 Oct 1997) |
| somatic cell genetics | Method for identifying the chromosomal location of a particular gene without sexual crossing. Unstable heterokaryons are made between the cell of interest and another cell with identifiably different characteristics (or without the gene in question) and a series of clones isolated. By correlating retention of gene expression with the remaining chromosomes, it is possible to deduce which chromosome must carry the gene. Human mouse heterokaryons have been extensively used in this sort of work. (18 Nov 1997) |