| compensatory pause | The pause following an extrasystole, when the pause is long enough to compensate for the prematurity of the extrasystole; the short cycle ending with the extrasystole plus the pause following the extrasystole together equal two of the regular cycles. (05 Mar 2000) |
|---|---|
| compensatory polycythemia | A secondary polycythemia resulting from anoxia, e.g., in congenital heart disease, pulmonary emphysema, or prolonged residence at a high altitude. (05 Mar 2000) |
| competence | <cell biology> Ability to take up DNA and become genetically transformed. (05 Jan 1998) |
| competency | <cell biology> An ephemeral state, induced by treatment with cold cations, during which bacterial cells are capable of uptaking foreign DNA. (05 Jan 1998) |
| competency-based education | Educational programs designed to ensure that students attain prespecified levels of competence in a given field or training activity. Emphasis is on achievement or specified objectives. (12 Dec 1998) |
| competent cell | <cell biology> Cells that are able to take up exogenous genetic material. (05 Jan 1998) |
| competing risk | An event that removes a subject from being at risk for an outcome under investigation. (05 Mar 2000) |
| competition | <zoology> A type of organism interaction which can be either between members of the same species or members of different species. The relationship occurs when commodities (like food, mates, shelters, etc.) are scarce and there are not enough to go around for all members which need them. In general, all involved members of the relationship are harmed by this interaction. (05 Jan 1998) |
| competition hybridisation | <molecular biology, technique> A lab technique used to determine how similar two strands of single-stranded nucleic acids are to each other by putting them with a third strand (called a standard) and observing how well they can bond with each other to become double-stranded (how well they hybridize). (05 Jan 1998) |
| competitive antagonist | An antimetabolite. (05 Mar 2000) |
| competitive behaviour | The direct struggle between individuals for environmental necessities or for a common goal. (12 Dec 1998) |
| competitive bidding | Pricing statements presented by more than one party for the purpose of securing a contract. (12 Dec 1998) |
| competitive binding assay | General term for an assay in which a binder competes for labelled versus unlabelled ligand; following separation of free and bound ligand, the ligand (the analyte assayed) is quantitated by relating bound and unbound ratios to known standards. See: enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, radioreceptor assay, immunoassay, enzyme-multiplied immunoassay technique, radioimmunoassay. Synonym: displacement analysis, saturation analysis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| competitive inhibition | <chemistry> Inhibitor that occupies the active site of an enzyme or the binding site of a receptor and prevents the normal substrate or ligand from binding. at sufficiently high concentration of the normal ligand inhibition is lost: the Km is altered by the competitive inhibitor, but the Vmax remains the same. (05 Jan 1998) |
| competitive medical plans | Alternative health care delivery mechanisms, such as preferred provider organizations or other health insurance services or prepaid plans (other than health maintenance organizations), that meet medicare qualifications for a risk-sharing contract. (12 Dec 1998) |