| SAF | scrapie-associated fibrils; self-articulating femoral; serum accelerator factor; simultaneous audito... |
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| SFT | Sabin-Feldman test; sensory feedback therapy; skinfold thickness |
| SSF | soluble suppressor factor; supplemental sensory feedback |
| TGF | T-cell growth factor; transforming growth factor; tuboglomerular feedback; tumor growth factor |
| VFD | visual feedback display |
| lateral inhibition | A simple form of information processing. The classic example is found in the eye, whereby ganglion cells are stimulated if photoreceptors in a well defined field are illuminated, but their response is inhibited if neighbouring photoreceptors are excited (an on field/off surround cell) or vice versa an off field/on surround cell. The effect of lateral inhibition is to produce edge or boundary sensitive cells and to reduce the amount of information that is sent to higher centres, a form of peripheral processing. (18 Nov 1997) |
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| leukocyte adherence inhibition test | Test for cell-mediated antitumour immunity and related serum blocking factors based on the finding that leukocytes from cancer patients, but not from controls, when mixed in vitro with antigenic extracts of tumours of the same histological type, undergo a diminution in their normal adherence to glass surfaces. Sera from tumour-bearing patients block the lai reaction of their own leukocytes or those of other patients with the same type of tumour. (12 Dec 1998) |
| alu sequence | Any of a family of short (300 basepairs long) repeated sequences that occur throughout the human genome. (09 Oct 1997) |
| amino acid sequence | The sequence of amino acids as arrayed in chains, sheets, etc., within the protein molecule. This is referred to as the primary structure of proteins. It is of fundamental importance in determining protein conformation. (12 Dec 1998) |
| autonomously replicating sequence | <molecular biology> This is a chromosomal sequence that allows plasmids to replicate on their own in yeast. (02 Jan 1998) |
| base sequence | <molecular biology> The order of nucleotide bases in a DNA molecule. (09 Oct 1997) |
| base sequence analysis | <molecular biology> A method, sometimes automated, for determining the base sequence. (09 Oct 1997) |
| canonical sequence | Of a series of related DNA, RNA or protein sequences, the sequence that reflects the most common choice of base or amino acid at each position. Areas of particularly good agreement often represent conserved functional domains. The generation of consensus sequences has been subjected to intensive mathematical analysis. (18 Nov 1997) |
| carbohydrate sequence | The sequence of carbohydrates within polysaccharides, glycoproteins, and glycolipids. (12 Dec 1998) |
| palindromic sequence | <molecular biology> Nucleic acid sequence that is identical to its complementary strand when each is read in the correct direction (e.g. TGGCCA). Palindromic sequences are often the recognition sites for restriction enzymes. Degenerate palindromes with internal mismatching can lead to loops or hairpins being formed (as in tRNA). (18 Nov 1997) |
| recognition sequence | A nucleotide sequence --typically composed of 4, 6, or 8nucleotides -- that is recognised by a restriction endonuclease. Type II enzymes cut (and theircorresponding modification enzymes methylate) within or very near the recognition sequence. (09 Oct 1997) |
| regulatory sequence | <molecular biology> DNA sequence to which regulatory molecules such as promotors or enhancers bind, thereby altering the expression of the adjacent gene. (18 Nov 1997) |
| centromeric sequence | <molecular biology> Special sequences of DNA nucleotides found on chromosomes which provide a site for the attachment of spindle fibres during nuclear division (mitosis or meiosis). (09 Oct 1997) |
| chi sequence | <molecular biology> A specific sequence of nucleotides on a site on the genome of the bacteria Escherichia coli which strongly encourages recombination and crossing over to occur at that site. (05 Jan 1998) |
| PEST sequence | Amino acid motif that is thought to target cytoplasmic proteins for rapid proteolytic degradation. (18 Nov 1997) |