| MSOF | multiple systems organ failure |
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| NOS | network operating system; nitric oxide synthetase; non-organ-specific; not on staff; not otherwise s... |
| OAR | organ at risk |
| OBF | organ blood flow |
| OC | obstetrical conjugate; occlusocervical; office call; on call; only child; optic chiasma; oral contra... |
| organ | 1. An instrument or medium by which some important action is performed, or an important end accomplished; as, legislatures, courts, armies, taxgatherers, etc, are organs of government. 2. <biology> A natural part or structure in an animal or a plant, capable of performing some special action (termed its function), which is essential to the life or well-being of the whole; as, the heart, lungs, etc, are organs of animals; the root, stem, foliage, etc, are organs of plants. In animals the organs are generally made up of several tissues, one of which usually predominates, and determines the principal function of the organ. Groups of organs constitute a system. See System. 3. A component part performing an essential office in the working of any complex machine; as, the cylinder, valves, crank, etc, are organs of the steam engine. 4. A medium of communication between one person or body and another; as, the secretary of state is the organ of communication between the government and a foreign power; a newspaper is the organ of its editor, or of a party, sect, etc. 5. [Cf. AS. Organ, fr. L. Organum. A wind instrument containing numerous pipes of various dimensions and kinds, which are filled with wind from a bellows, and played upon by means of keys similar to those of a piano, and sometimes by foot keys or pedals; formerly used in the plural, each pipe being considired an organ. "The deep, majestic, solemn organs blow." (Pope) Chaucer used the form orgon as a plural. "The merry orgon . . . That in the church goon [go]" Barrel organ, Choir organ, Great organ, etc. See Barrel, Choir, etc. <anatomy> Cabinet organ, a passage in which the tonic or dominant is sustained continuously by one part, while the other parts move. Origin: L. Organum, Gr.; akin to work, and E. Work: cf. F. Organe. See Work, and cf. Orgue, Orgy. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| organ culture | <cell biology> Culture in vitro of pieces of tissue (as opposed to single cells) in such a way as to maintain some normal spatial relationships between cells and some normal function. Contrast with tissue culture. (18 Nov 1997) |
| organ of corti | The organ that contains the special sensory receptors for hearing. It is composed of a series of epithelial structures placed upon the inner part of the basilar membrane. (12 Dec 1998) |
| organ of hearing | The content of the cochlea including the portion of the membranous labyrinth containing the spiral organ (cochlear duct) and the perilymphatic channels (scalae) which lie on either side. Synonym: labyrinthus cochlearis, organ of hearing. (05 Mar 2000) |
| organ of Rosenmuller | <anatomy> See Parovarium. Origin: NL, from Gr. Upon + egg + to bear. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| organ of smell | The olfactory region in the superior portion of the nasal cavity. Synonym: organum olfactus, organ of smell. (05 Mar 2000) |
| organ of taste | Located in the papillae of the mucous membrane of the tongue, chiefly in the vallate papillae. Synonym: organum gustus, organ of taste. (05 Mar 2000) |
| organ of touch | Any one of the sensory end organs. Synonym: organum tactus, tactile organ. (05 Mar 2000) |
| organ of vision | The eye and its adnexa. Synonym: organum visus, organ of vision. (05 Mar 2000) |
| organ of zuckerkandl | <radiology> Para-aortic chromaffin body, adjacent to abdominal sympathetic plexus, site: aortic bifurcation or IMA origin, most common extra-adrenal site of pheochromocytoma (12 Dec 1998) |
| organ preservation solutions | Solutions used to store organs, particulary those awaiting implantation. (12 Dec 1998) |
| organ procurement | The obtaining of organs for transplantation, which includes methods of obtaining through programs, systems, or organizations. It includes also the transporting of donor organs, after surgical removal, to the hospital for processing and transplant. (12 Dec 1998) |
| organ-specific | Denoting or pertaining to a serum produced by the injection of the cells of a certain organ or tissue that, when injected into another animal, destroys the cells of the corresponding organ. (05 Mar 2000) |
| organ-specific antigen | A heterogenetic antigen with organ specificity; e.g., in addition to species-specific antigen, kidney of one species contains antigen that is identical to that in kidney of other species. Synonym: tissue-specific antigen. (05 Mar 2000) |
| organ specificity | Restriction of a characteristic or response to a particular organ of the body; it usually refers to that property of the immune response which differentiates one organ from another on the basis of antigen recognition, but the concept is not limited to immunology. (12 Dec 1998) |