| minor | 1. Inferior in bulk, degree, importance, etc.; less; smaller; of little account; as, minor divisions of a body. 2. Less by a semitone in interval or difference of pitch; as, a minor third. <medicine> Asia Minor The form of the minor scale is various. The strictly correct form has the third and sixth minor, with a semitone between the seventh and eighth, which involves an augmented second interval, or three semitones, between the sixth and seventh, as, 6/F, 7/G#, 8/A. But, for melodic purposes, both the sixth and the seventh are sometimes made major in the ascending, and minor in the descending, scale, thus: See Major. <logic> Minor term of syllogism, the subject of the conclusion. Origin: L, a comparative with no positive; akin to AS. Min small, G. Minder less, OHG. Minniro, a, min, adv, Icel. Minni, a, minnr, adv, Goth. Minniza, a, mins, adv, Ir. & Gael. Min small, tender, L. Minuere to lessen, Gr, Skr. Mi to damage. Cf. Minish, Minister, Minus, Minute. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| minor agglutinin | Immune agglutinin present in an antiserum in lesser concentration than the major agglutinin. Synonym: partial agglutinin. (05 Mar 2000) |
| minor amputation | Amputation of a hand or foot or any parts of either. (05 Mar 2000) |
| minor calices | The subdivisions of the major calices, varying in number from 7 to 13, which receive the renal papillae. Synonym: calices renales minores. (05 Mar 2000) |
| minor connector | The connecting link (tang) between the major connector or base of a partial denture and other units of the prosthesis, such as clasps, indirect retainers, and occlusal rests. (05 Mar 2000) |
| minor duodenal papilla | The site of the opening of the accessory pancreatic duct into the duodenum, located anterior to and slightly superior to the major papilla. Synonym: papilla duodeni minor, Santorini's minor caruncle. Nerve papilla, one of the papillae in the dermis containing a tactile corpuscle or other form of end organ. Synonym: neurothele. (05 Mar 2000) |
| minor fissure | The deep fissure that separates the upper and middle lobes of the right lung. Synonym: fissura horizontalis pulmonis dextri, horizontal fissure of right lung, minor fissure. (05 Mar 2000) |
| minor forceps | Frontal radiation of the corpus callosum; that part of the fibre radiation of the corpus callosum which bends forward toward the frontal pole of the cerebrum. Synonym: forceps minor, forceps anterior, frontal part of corpus callosum, pars frontalis corporis callosi. (05 Mar 2000) |
| minor hippocampus | The lower of two elevations on the medial wall of the posterior horn of the lateral ventricle of the brain, caused by the depth of the calcarine sulcus. Synonym: Haller's unguis, hippocampus minor, minor hippocampus, Morand's spur, unguis avis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| minor histocompatibility antigens | Allelic alloantigens often responsible for weak graft rejection in cases when (major) histocompatibility has been established by standard tests. In the mouse they are coded by more than 500 genes at up to 30 minor histocompatibility loci. The most well-known minor histocompatibility antigen in mammals is the h-y antigen. (12 Dec 1998) |
| minor histocompatibility loci | Genetic loci responsible for the encoding of histocompatibility antigens other than those encoded by the major histocompatibility complex. The antigens encoded by these genes are often responsible for graft rejection in cases where histocompatibility has been established by standard tests. The location of some of these loci on the x and y chromosomes explains why grafts from males to females may be rejected while grafts from females to males are accepted. In the mouse roughly 30 minor histocompatibility loci have been recognised, comprising more than 500 genes. (12 Dec 1998) |
| minor hypnosis | An induced state resembling normal sleep in which the subject is susceptible to suggestion, though not to the extent of catalepsy or somnambulism. (05 Mar 2000) |
| minor hysteria | A mild form of hysteria characterised chiefly by subjective pains, nervousness, undue sensitiveness, and sometimes episodes of emotional excitement, but without paralysis or other such symptoms. (05 Mar 2000) |
| minor lymphocyte stimulatory antigens | Endogenous superantigens responsible for inducing strong proliferative responses in T-cells in mixed lymphocyte reactions (see mixed lymphocyte culture test). They are encoded by mouse mammary tumour viruses that have integrated into the germ line as DNA proviruses (minor lymphocyte stimulatory loci). (12 Dec 1998) |
| minor lymphocyte stimulatory loci | Genetic loci responsible for the encoding of minor lymphocyte stimulatory antigens. There are at least two unlinked loci (in the mouse) and they appear to be separate from the major histocompatibility complex and minor histocompatibility loci. The mouse mammary tumour virus (see mammary tumour viruses, mouse) has the ability to integrate into these loci. The antigens induce strong T-cell proliferative responses in mixed lymphocyte reactions. (12 Dec 1998) |