| child reactive disorders | Reactions to an event or set of events which are considered to be of pathological degree, that have not developed into a neurosis, psychosis, or personality disorder with fixed patterns. (12 Dec 1998) |
|---|---|
| cold-reactive antibody | See: cold agglutinin. (05 Mar 2000) |
| C-reactive protein | <protein> This blood test is used as an indicator of acute inflammation. C-reactive protein is a protein of the pentraxin family, produced by the liver during periods of inflammation and detectable in serum in various disease conditions particularly during the acute phase of immune response. Normally C-reactive protein should be negative in the bloodstream. C-reactive protein is synthesised by hepatocytes and its production may be triggered by prostaglandin E1 or parogen. It consists of five polypeptide sub units forming a molecule of total molecular weight 105 kD. It binds to polysaccharides present in a wide range of bacterial, fungal and other cell walls or cell surfaces and to lecithin and to phosphoryl or choline containing molecules. It is related in structure to Serum Amyloid. And C polysaccharide. Conditions which can cause a positive C-reactive protein include: rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, pneumococcal pneumonia, rheumatic fever, cancer, tuberculosis and myocardial infarction. A positive C-reactive protein may also be seen in the later half of pregnancy and in some who are taking birth control pills. See: acute phase proteins (06 Oct 1997) |
| cross-reactive antibody | <haematology, immunology> Antibodies which don't respond to any one specific antigen, but will respond to a number of them. These antibodies can be responsible for false positive results in antigen-antibody tests. (09 Oct 1997) |
| Rambourg's chromic acid-phosphotungstic acid stain | <technique> A stain for glycoproteins, used with an electron microscope, with which ultrathin tissue sections reveal complex carbohydrates in the same locations as shown by Rambourg's periodic acid-chromic methenamine-silver stain. (05 Mar 2000) |
| a1-acid glycoprotein | <biology> Plasma protein of mammals and birds, 38% carbohydrate. In humans a single chain glycoprotein of 39 kD. Increased levels are associated with inflammation, pregnancy and various diseases. (18 Nov 1997) |
| abscisic acid | <biochemistry> A lipid hormone that inhibits cell growth in plants, it is associated with fruit drop, leaf death and seed dormancy. It is synthesised in the plastids from carotenoids. This hormone helps plants deal with water loss, and its effects can be reversed with gibberellins. (06 May 1997) |
| abscisic acid 8'-hydroxylase | <enzyme> Catalyses conversion of abscisic acid to 8'-hydroxyabscisic acid, which rearranges to phaseic acid Registry number: EC 1.14.99.- Synonym: aba 8'-hydroxylase (26 Jun 1999) |
| acetic acid | <chemical> The acid most commonly associated with vinegar, it is the most commercially important organic acid and is used to manufacture a wide range of chemical products, such as plastics and Acetobacter but, except for making vinegar, is usually made through synthetic processes. Derivatives of acetic acid which may be formed by substitution reactions. Mono- and di-substituted, as well as, halogenated compounds have been synthesised. Experimentally, alpha- and n2- substituted acetic acids have been examined for their anti-inflammatory activity and effect on the central nervous system respectively. Additionally, limited exposure data has been collected on dibromo and dichloroacetic acids to determine whether they pose health effects. Synonym: ethanoic acid. (26 Jun 1999) |
| acetoacetic acid | CH3COCH2COOH;one of the ketone bodies, formed in excess and appearing in the urine in starvation or diabetes. Synonym: diacetic acid. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acetohydroxamic acid | C2H5NO2; N-Hydroxyacetamide;an inhibitor of urease, used as adjunctive therapy in chronic urea-splitting urinary infections. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acetrizoic acid | <chemical> A water-soluble, iodinated radiographic contrast medium, used as sodium acetrizoate in hysterosalpingography. Pharmacological action: contrast media. Chemical name: Benzoic acid, 3-(acetylamino)-2,4,6-triiodo- (12 Dec 1998) |
| acetylsalicylic acid | <drug> An odourless, white, slightly bitter drug used to reduce pain, fever, inflammation and sometimes to prevent blood clotting. Also called aspirin. Some people cannot tolerate it because it can cause stomach bleeding, however. It is soluble in both water and alcoholand melts at 132 to 136 degrees C. (06 May 1997) |
| acetyltannic acid | An astringent used for treatment of diarrhoea. Synonym: diacetyltannic acid, tannylacetate. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acid | <chemical, chemistry> A fundamental category of many compounds whose water-based solutions have a sour taste, turn blue litmus paper red and can combine with metals to form salts. They are chemical compounds which yield hydrogen ions or protons when dissolved in water, whose hydrogen can be replaced by metals or basic radicals, or which react with bases to form salts and water (neutralization). An extension of the term includes substances dissolved in media other than water. Specific types of acids include: Arrhenius acid: any chemical that increases the number of free hydrogen ions (H+) when added to a water-based solution. The more free hydrogens produced, the stronger the acid. Bronsted or Bronsted-Lowry acid: any chemical that acts as a proton donor in a chemical reaction. Lewis acid: any chemical that accepts two electrons to form a covalent bond during a chemical reaction. (13 Nov 1997) |