| aviculture | <ornithology> Rearing and care of birds. Origin: L. Avis bird + cultura culture. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| avidin | <protein> Biotin binding protein (68 kD) from egg white. Binding is so strong as to be effectively irreversible a diet of raw egg white leads to biotin deficiency. (18 Nov 1997) |
| avidin-biotin immunofluorescence | Holds promise for more sensitive and specific amplification of indirect fluorescent antibody procedures. Antibody to the patient's specific antibodies is labelled with biotin, a compound capable of specifically binding avidin in high concentrations. Fluorescent labelled avidin is then added and fluorescent microscopy is used to detect the presence of the complexes. (05 Mar 2000) |
| avidity | <chemistry> Strength of binding, usually of a small molecule with multiple binding sites by a larger, particularly the binding of a complex antigen by an antibody. (Affinity refers to simple receptor ligand systems.) (18 Nov 1997) |
| avidity antibody | The sum total of the functional binding strength between a polyvariant and its antibody. The total binding strength represents the sum strength of all the affinity bonds. (05 Mar 2000) |
| avifauna | <ornithology> The birds, or all the kinds of birds, inhabiting a region. Origin: NL, fr. L. Avis bird + E. Fauna. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| avignon berry | <botany> The fruit of the Rhamnus infectorius, eand of other species of the same genus; so called from the city of Avignon, in France. It is used by dyers and painters for colouring yellow. Synonym: French berry. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| avihepadnavirus | A genus of hepadnaviridae infecting birds but rarely causing clinical problems. Transmission is predominantly vertical. Hepatitis b virus, duck is the type species. (12 Dec 1998) |
| avipoxvirus | A genus of the family poxviridae, subfamily chordopoxvirinae, comprising bird poxviruses. The type species is fowlpox virus. Transmission is mechanical by arthropods. (12 Dec 1998) |
| avirulent | Not virulent. (05 Mar 2000) |
| avision | 1. <ophthalmology> The act or faculty of seeing, sight. 2. <psychiatry> An apparition, a subjective sensation of vision not elicited by actual visual stimuli. 3. Visual acuity, symbol V. Origin: L. Visio (18 Nov 1997) |
| avitaminosis | A condition due to a deficiency of one or more essential vitamins. (12 Dec 1998) |
| avivement | An obsolete term for the excision of the edges of a wound to assist the healing process. Origin: Fr. Aviver, to quicken, revive (05 Mar 2000) |
| aVL | <abbreviation> Augmented electrocardiographic leads from the left arm. (05 Mar 2000) |
| AVM | <anatomy, embryology> A tangled collection of abnormal blood vessels where there is an abnormal communication between the arterial and venous systems. The afferents flow directly into the venous efferents without the usual resistance of an intervening capillary bed. They are mostly congenital. If large enough, they may produce a shunt of sufficient magnitude to raise the cardiac output. Common sites include; skin, liver, brain, brainstem and spinal cord, where they may cause headaches, seizures or bleeding (subarachnoid haemorrhage). See: arteriovenous fistula, cerebral arteriovenous malformations. Synonym: haemangioma (20 Jun 2000) |