| specific antiserum | See: antiserum. (05 Mar 2000) |
|---|---|
| specific capsular substance | A soluble type-specific polysaccharide produced during active growth of virulent pneumococci composing a large part of the capsule. Synonym: pneumococcal polysaccharide, soluble specific substance, specific soluble polysaccharide, specific soluble sugar. (05 Mar 2000) |
| specific cause | A cause the action of which definitely produces the condition in question. (05 Mar 2000) |
| specific compliance | The compliance of a structure divided by its initial volume, more specifically for the lungs, the compliance divided by the functional residual capacity. (05 Mar 2000) |
| specific disease | A disease produced by the action of a special pathogenic microorganism. (05 Mar 2000) |
| specific dynamic action | The increase of heat production caused by the ingestion of food, especially of protein. (05 Mar 2000) |
| specific epithet | The label (or designation) of a particular species in the binomial nomenclature system. For example: coli is the specific epithet of Escherichia coli. (09 Oct 1997) |
| specific extinction | Absorbance (of light) per unit path length (usually the centimeter) and per unit of mass concentration. Compare: molar absorption coefficient. Synonym: absorbancy index, absorptivity, extinction coefficient, specific extinction. (05 Mar 2000) |
| specific granule | One of the two main classes of granules found in neutrophils: contain lactoferrin, lysozyme, Vitamin B12 binding protein and elastase. Are released more readily than the azurophil (primary) granules which have typical lysosmal contents. (18 Nov 1997) |
| specific gravity | A measure of concentration. It is the weight of a substance, as compared (as a ratio) with that of an equal volume of water. (27 Sep 1997) |
| specific haemolysin | A sensitizing, complement-fixing, haemolytic antibody that reacts totally or completely with red blood cells of the antigenic type used to stimulate the formation of the haemolysin. (05 Mar 2000) |
| specific heat | The amount of energy (measured in calories or joules) needed to raise thetemperature of one gram of a pure substance by one degree C. (09 Oct 1997) |
| specific heat capacity | <chemistry> The amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one gram of a substance by one degree Celsius (or Kelvin). (09 Jan 1998) |
| specific immune globulin | Globulin fraction of pooled serums (or plasma) selected for high titre of antibodies specific for a particular antigen, or from persons specifically immunised. (05 Mar 2000) |
| specific immunity | The immune status in which there is an altered reactivity directed solely against the antigenic determinants (infectious agent or other) that stimulated it. See: acquired immunity. (05 Mar 2000) |