| ecosystem function | The collective intraspecific and interspecific interactions of the biota, such as primary and secondary production and mutualistic relationships. The interactions between organisms and the physical environment, such as nutrient cycling, soil development, water budgeting, and flammability. (09 Oct 1997) |
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| function | The special, normal or proper physiologic activity of an organ or part. Origin: L. Functio, from fungi = to do (18 Nov 1997) |
| function corrector | A removable orthodontic appliance utilizing oral and facial muscle forces to move teeth and possibly change the relationship of the dental arches. (05 Mar 2000) |
| line spread function | A measure of the ability of a system to form sharp images; in radiology, determined by measuring the spatial density distribution on film of the X-ray image of a narrow slit in a dense metal, such as uranium; from this can be calculated the modulation transfer function. (05 Mar 2000) |
| lymphocyte function associated antigen | A member of the integrin family that is expressed on all leukocytes and binds to ICAM-1 and ICAM-2 on a variety of cells. (05 Mar 2000) |
| lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 | A heterodimer molecule widely expressed on cells of haematopoietic origin. Cd11a antigen comprises the alpha chain and the CD18 antigen (antigens, CD18) the beta chain. Lfa-1 is a major receptor of T-cells, B-cells, and granulocytes. It mediates the leukocyte adhesion reactions underlying cytolytic conjugate formation, helper T-cell interactions, and antibody-dependent killing by natural killer cells and granulocytes. Intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (icam-1) has been defined as a ligand for lfa-1. (12 Dec 1998) |
| accessory pancreatic duct | The excretory duct of the head of the pancreas, one branch of which joins the pancreatic duct, the other opening independently into the duodenum at the lesser duodenal papilla. Synonym: ductus pancreaticus accessorius, Bernard's canal, Bernard's duct, ductus dorsopancreaticus, Santorini's canal, Santorini's duct. (05 Mar 2000) |
| artery of the pancreatic tail | Origin, splenic artery near the left gastroepiploic; distribution, the tail of the pancreas; anastomoses, with other pancreatic arteries. Synonym: arteria caudae pancreatis, caudal pancreatic artery. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cancer, pancreatic | Cancer of the organ which produces many juices that are important for digesting food as well as hormones, such as insulin and glucagon. Pancreatic cancer has been called a silent disease because early pancreatic cancer usually does not cause symptoms. If the tumour blocks the common bile duct and bile cannot pass into the digestive system, the skin and whites of the eyes may become yellow, and the urine darker as a result of accumulated bile pigment called bilirubin. This condition is referred to as jaundice. (12 Dec 1998) |
| pancreatic | <anatomy> Of or pertaining to the pancreas; as, the pancreatic secretion, digestion, ferments. <physiology> Pancreatic juice, a colourless alkaline fluid secreted intermittently by the pancreatic gland. It is one of the most important of the digestive fluids, containing at least three distinct ferments, trypsin, steapsin and an amylolytic ferment, by which it acts upon all three classes of food stuffs. See Pancreas. Origin: Cf. F. Pancreatique. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| pancreatic abscess | An abscess in the pancreatic or peripancreatic area usually related to pancreatitis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| pancreatic acinar cell | <pathology> Cells of the pancreas that secrete digestive enzymes, the archetypal secretory cell upon which much of the early work on the sequence of events in the secretory process was done. (18 Nov 1997) |
| pancreatic adenocarcinoma | <radiology> Males (60%), blacks more than whites, risk factors: tobacco, familial pancreatitis, not EtOH!, focal mass in 95%, pancreatic head in 66%, small (low-density, hypoechoic) mass, infiltrates locally, obstructs ducts and encases vessels, metastasis to liver, local nodes See also: pancreatic neoplasms (12 Dec 1998) |
| pancreatic branches | Branches to the pancreas. Nomina Anatomica lists pancreatic branches of 1) splenic artery, rami pancreatici arteriae splenicae; 2) superior pancreaticoduodenal arteries, rami pancreatici arteriae pancreaticoduodenalis superioris. Synonym: rami pancreatici. (05 Mar 2000) |
| pancreatic calcifications | <radiology> Chronic alcoholic pancreatitis (85-90%), hereditary pancreatitis, 309], tumours, especially cystadenoma and cystadenocarcinoma, hyperparathyroidism, kwashiorkor, cystic fibrosis, idiopathic, rarely: trauma, infarction, intraparenchymal haemorrhage, associated with slight increased in panc carcinoma (12 Dec 1998) |