| transporionic axis | An imaginary line connecting the upper central points of the external auditory meatuses; used in radiographic cephalometry. See: porion. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| transverse horizontal axis | An imaginary line around which the mandible may rotate through the horizontal plane. Synonym: hinge axis, mandibular axis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| external axis of eye | That part of the optic axis from the midpoint of anterior surface of the cornea to the posterior surface of the posterior pole of the external surface of the sclera. Synonym: axis bulbi externus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| facial axis | A line drawn from the subnasal point to the midpoint of the sphenoethmoidal suture. Synonym: facial axis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Y-axis | A cephalometric indicator of the vertical and horizontal coordinates of mandibular growth expressed in degrees of the inferior facial angle formed by the intersection of the sella-gnathion plane with the Frankfort horizontal plane. (05 Mar 2000) |
| left axis deviation | A mean electrical axis of the heart pointing to -30 |
| long axis | A line extending through the centre of an object lengthwise; in dentistry, the line extending inciso-(occluso-) cervically parallel to axial surfaces of a tooth. (05 Mar 2000) |
| long axis of body | long axis of body |
| long axis view | In echocardiography, a projection parallel to the interventricular septum of the heart; four-chamber view. (05 Mar 2000) |
| accelerated phase of leukaemia | Refers to chronic myelogenous leukaemia that is progressing. The number of immature, abnormal white blood cells in the bone marrow and blood is higher than in the chronic phase, but not as high as in the blast phase. (12 Dec 1998) |
| acceleration phase | <cell biology, cell culture> A period of increasing growth before the log phase in a culture of microbes. After the culture is started on a medium, at first there is no growth (the lag phase) and then the microbes start to gradually grow (acceleration phase) until they reach a constant maximum rate of growth (log phase). (15 Jan 1998) |
| acute-phase protein | <haematology> These plasma proteins (in addition to fibrinogen) increase 25% or more in response to inflammation and injury are under direct control of interleukin-6 (IL-6) (hepatocyte-stimulating factor). Other proteins which increase are ceruloplasmin, C3 and C4 which increase 50% or more; alpha-1 acid glycoprotein, alpha-1 antitrypsin, haptoglobin and fibrinogen (the major determinant of viscosity 1 ) which increase two- to fourfold; C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid A which increase several hundred-fold. Despite long-held clinical opinion to the contrary, available data indicate that neither ESR nor measurement of specific acute-phase reactants are useful in excluding underlying infection or inflammation regardless of the pretest probability. These proteins are secreted into the blood in increased or decreased quantities by hepatocytes in response to trauma, inflammation, or disease. They can serve as inhibitors or mediators of the inflammatory processes. Certain acute-phase proteins have been used to diagnose and follow the course of diseases or as tumour markers. See also: amyloid, c-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, viscosity. (25 Jun 1999) |
| acute-phase reaction | <immunology, rheumatology> Refers to the changes in synthesis of certain proteins within the serum during an inflammatory response, which provides rapid protection for the host against microorganisms via non-specific defense mechanisms. It consists of fever, an increase in inflammatory humoral factors, and an increased synthesis by hepatocytes of a number of proteins or glycoproteins usually found in the plasma; the reaction is mediated by endogenous pyrogens, the hypothalamus, adrenal hormones, and other factors. (12 Jul 2000) |
| anal phase | In psychoanalytic personality theory, the stage of psychosexual development, occurring when a child is between 1 and 3 years, during which activities, interests, and concerns are centreed around the anal zone. (05 Mar 2000) |
| aqueous phase | The water portion of a system consisting of two liquid phase's, one mainly water, the other a liquid immiscible with water (e.g., benzene, ether). (05 Mar 2000) |