| alexin unit | The smallest amount (highest dilution) of complement that will cause haemolysis of a unit of red blood cells in the presence of a haemolysin unit. Synonym: alexin unit. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| Allen-Doisy unit | The quantity of oestrogen capable of producing in a spayed mouse a characteristic change in the vaginal epithelium, namely, disappearance of leukocytes and appearance of cornified cells, as determined by a vaginal smear; equal approximately to one-half of an estrone unit. Synonym: mouse unit. (05 Mar 2000) |
| amboceptor unit | haemolysin unit |
| androgen unit | The androgenic activity of 100 ug (0.1 mg) of crystalline androsterone as assayed by the comb growth response in capons. (05 Mar 2000) |
| antigen unit | The smallest amount of antigen that, in the presence of specific antiserum, will fix 1 complement unit. (05 Mar 2000) |
| antitoxin unit | A unit expressing the strength or activity of an antitoxin; in general, determined with reference to a preserved standard preparation of antitoxin. See: L doses. (05 Mar 2000) |
| antivenene unit | The amount of antivenum which, injected in the ear vein, will protect 1 g weight of rabbit against a fatal dose of snake venom. (05 Mar 2000) |
| atomic mass unit | <chemistry> One-twelfth the mass of a neutral atom of the most abundant isotope of carbon. (16 Dec 1997) |
| Bethesda unit | A measure of inhibitor activity: the amount of inhibitor that will inactivate 50% or 0.5 unit of a coagulation factor during the incubation period. Origin: Bethesda, MD (05 Mar 2000) |
| biological standard unit | A specific quantity of biologically active reference material (antibiotic, antitoxin, enzyme, hormone, vitamin, etc.). (05 Mar 2000) |
| bird unit | A unit of prolactin activity: the minimal quantity of the hormone which will cause a certain increase in weight of the crop gland of pigeons. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Bodansky unit | That amount of phosphatase that liberates 1 mg of phosphorus as inorganic phosphate during the first hour of incubation with a buffered substrate containing sodium beta-glycerophosphate. (05 Mar 2000) |
| bone dry unit | A quantity of wood residue which weighs 2,400 pounds at zero percent moisture content. (05 Dec 1998) |
| British Thermal Unit | <unit> Unit of energy needed to raise one pound of water by one degree fahrenheit. It is equal to 252 calories or 1055 Joules. Acronym: BTU (13 Nov 1997) |
| burst forming unit | <haematology> A bone marrow stem cell lineage detected in culture by its mitotic response to erythropoietin and subsequent erythrocytic differentiation in about 12 mitotic cycles into erythrocytes. (18 Nov 1997) |