| disease, maple syrup urine | Hereditary disease due to deficiency of an enzyme involved in amino acid metabolism, characterised by urine that smells like maple syrup. (12 Dec 1998) |
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| incontinence of urine | Inability to hold urine in the bladder. This is due to failure of voluntary control over the urinary sphincters resulting in involuntary passage of urine (wetting). (12 Dec 1998) |
| oasthouse urine disease | An inherited metabolic defect in the absorption of methionine which is converted by intestinal bacteria to alpha-hydroxybutyric acid; characterised by diarrhoea, tachypnea, and marked urinary excretion of alpha-hydroxybutyric acid (causing an odour like that of an oasthouse). Origin: oast, kiln for drying hops, malt, or tobacco (05 Mar 2000) |
| febrile urine | Dark coloured, concentrated urine of strong odour, passed by one suffering from fever. Synonym: feverish urine. (05 Mar 2000) |
| feverish urine | Dark coloured, concentrated urine of strong odour, passed by one suffering from fever. Synonym: feverish urine. (05 Mar 2000) |
| urine | <physiology> In mammals, a fluid excretion from the kidneys; in birds and reptiles, a solid or semisolid excretion. In man, the urine is a clear, transparent fluid of an amber colour and peculiar odour, with an average density of 1.02. The average amount excreted in 24 hours is from 40 to 60 ounces (about 1,200 cubic centimeters). Chemically, the urine is mainly an aqueous solution of urea, salt (sodium chloride), and uric acid, together with some hippuric acid and peculiar pigments. It usually has an acid reaction, owing to the presence of acid phosphates of soda or free uric acid. Normally, it contains about 960 parts of water to 40 parts of solid matter, and the daily average excretion is 35 grams (540 grains) of urea.75 gram (11 grains) of uric acid, and 16.5 grams (260 grains) of salt. Abnormally, it may contain sugar as in diabetes, albumen as in Bright's disease, bile pigments as in jaundice, or abnormal quantities of some one or more of the normal constituents. Origin: F. Urine, L. Urina; akin to urinari to plunge under water, to dive, Gr. Urine; cf. Skr. Var water, Icel. R drizzling rain, AS. Waer the sea. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| urine catecholamine | A test that measures the level of catecholamines or their metabolites in the urine. A 24 hour urine sample is necessary for this assay. Elevations may be seen in pheochromocytoma or neuroblastoma. Normal urine levels of adrenaline should be: 0.5 to 20 mcg/ml and normal urine levels of noradrenaline should be 15 to 80 mcg/ml. (27 Sep 1997) |
| urine immunofixation | A special laboratory technique that is used to identify specific proteins in the blood or urine. It has greatest application in the identification (and monitoring) of monoclonal proteins that are produced in conditions like Waldenstom's macroglobulinaemia and multiple myeloma. (27 Sep 1997) |
| urine metanephrine | A test that measures the level of catecholamines or their metabolites in the urine. A 24 hour urine sample is necessary for this assay. Elevations may be seen in pheochromocytoma or neuroblastoma. Normal urine levels of adrenaline should be: 0.5 to 20 mcg/ml and normal urine levels of noradrenaline should be 15 to 80 mcg/ml. (27 Sep 1997) |
| aperture for electron microscopy | <technique> Anode aperture: The opening in the accelerating voltage anode shield of the electron gun through which the electrons must pass to irradiate the specimen. Condenser aperture: An opening in the condenser lens controlling the number of electrons entering the lens and the angular aperture of the electron beam. The angular aperture can also be controlled by the condenser lens current. Physical objective aperture: A metallic diaphragm, with a small central hole, used to limit the cone of electrons accepted by the objective lens. This improves image-contrast since highly scattered electrons are prevented from arriving at the Gaussian image plane and therefore cannot contribute to background fog. Aplanatic. Free from spherical aberration and coma. (05 Aug 1998) |
| bright field microscopy | <technique> Optical microscopy, in which absorption to a great extent and diffraction to a minor extent give rise to the image, as opposed to phase contrast or interference methods of microscopy. (18 Nov 1997) |
| ratio imaging fluorescence microscopy | <procedure> A method of measurement of intracellular pH or intracellular calcium levels, using a fluorescent probe molecule (see fura-2), in which the two different excitation wavelengths are used and the emitted light levels compared. If emission at one wavelength is sensitive to the intracellular ion level and emission at the other wavelength is not, then standardisation for intracellular probe concentration, efficiency of light collection, inactivation of probe and thickness of cytoplasm can all be performed automatically. (17 Dec 1997) |
| reflection X-ray microscopy | <technique> A method of producing enlarged images by means of X rays. In this method the radiation is totally reflected at glancing incidence from polished concave mirrors or from the curved surfaces of single crystals by Bragg reflection. The problem of aberration corrections still limits the resolution obtainable. (05 Aug 1998) |
| video microscopy | <technique> Microscopy that takes advantage of video as an imaging, image processing, analysing, or controlling device. (05 Aug 1998) |
| phase contrast microscopy | <investigation> A simple nonquantitative form of interference micoscopy of great utility in visualising live cells. Small differences in optical path length due to differences in refractive index and thickness of structures are visualised as differences in light intensity. (18 Nov 1997) |