Bio: From 2 Different Sources
A prefix describing a relationship to life, as in biology, the science of life.
combining form denoting life or living organisms. Example: biosynthesis (formation of a compound within a living organism).
A surgical process in which a small piece of tissue is cut out or otherwise sampled, e.g. through a needle biopsy, to enable a diagnosis to be made.... biopsy
One of the dozen or so vitamins included in the vitamin B complex. It is found in liver, eggs and meat, and also synthesised by bacteria in the gut. Absorption from the gut is prevented by avidin, a constituent of egg-white. The daily requirement is small: a fraction of a milligram daily. Gross de?ciency results in disturbances of the skin, a smooth tongue and lassitude. (See APPENDIX 5: VITAMINS.)... biotin
Assessment of the efficacy and persistence of an insecticidal treatment by exposing mosquitoes of known susceptibility to a treated surface or area for a standard period of time.... bioassay
A technique whereby an auditory or visual stimulus follows on from a physiological response. Thus, a subject’s ELECTROCARDIOGRAM (ECG) may be monitored, and a signal passed back to the subject indicating his or her heart rate: for example, a red light if the rate is between 50 and 60 beats a minute; a green light if it is between 60 and 70 a minute. Once the subject has learned to discriminate between these two rates, he or she can then learn to control the heart rate. How this is learned is not clear, but by utilising biofeedback some subjects can control heart rate and blood pressure, relax spastic muscles, bring migraine under control and even help constipation.... biofeedback
The joint utilisation of engineering and biological knowledge to illuminate normal and abnormal functions of the human body. Blood ?ow, the reaction of bones and joints to stress, the design of kidney dialysis machines, and the development of arti?cial body parts are among the practical results of this collaboration.... biomechanical engineering
The study of molecules (see MOLECULE) that are part of the structure of living organisms.... molecular biology
The proportion of a drug that reaches the target organs and tissues, usually expressed as a percentage of the dose administered. Intravenous administration results in 100 per cent bioavailability because the drug is injected directly into the bloodstream. Drugs taken orally have a much lower bioavailability. Preparations that have equal bioavailabilities are described as bioequivalent. (See also drug.)... bioavailability
See biomechanical engineering.... bioengineering
The use of living organisms such as bacteria in industry and science (for example, in drug production).... biotechnology
A science that studies the chemistry of living organisms. It includes the chemical processes involved in the maintenance and reproduction of body cells and the chemical reactions carried out inside cells that make up the metabolism of the body. Overall regulation of these chemical processes is a function of hormones, whereas regulation of individual reactions is carried out by enzymes. A constant interchange occurs between cell fluids and blood and urine. Biochemists can therefore learn about the chemical changes going on inside cells from measurements of the various minerals, gases, enzymes, hormones, and proteins in blood, urine, and other body fluids. Such tests are used to make diagnoses and to screen for a disease and to monitor its progress. The most common biochemical tests are performed on blood, and they include liver function tests and kidney function tests. Biochemical tests can also be performed on urine (see urinalysis) and other body fluids.... biochemistry
A surgical procedure in which a conical or cylindrical section of the lower part of the cervix is removed. A cone biopsy is performed after an abnormal cervical smear test result if the exact precancerous or cancerous area (see cervix, cancer of) cannot be identified by colposcopy.... cone biopsy
The state of life interdependency that is possible when large and small plants, soil organisms, insects, and fuzzy beasts exist in the ebb and flow created by the natural environment. Cut down the trees once and you lessen the biodiversity drastically. Wait fifty years and cut again and you have a small fraction of the life-form variety that you started with; the old diversity will never return...never.... biodiverse
Use of natural, indigenous predators or organisms to control medically important insects.... biological control
The use of living organisms – or infectious agents derived from them – to disable or kill men, animals or plants in the pursuit of war. Such warfare, along with chemical warfare, was condemned in 1925 by the Geneva Convention, and the United Nations has endorsed this policy. Even so, some countries have experimented with possible biological agents, including those causing ANTHRAX and BOTULISM, with the intention of delivering them by land, sea or water-based missiles. These developments have prompted other countries to search for ways of annulling the lethal consequences of biological warfare.... biological warfare
The actual amount of existing material within a species or genus.... biomass
Literally, the part of the earth that supports life; more broadly, a large community of life-forms sharing a similar environment, such as a rain forest or prairie grassland.... biosphere
A biopsy of a lesion for the purposes of diagnosis in which the whole lesion is exc ised.... excision biopsy
Terror attacks on civilian communities using biological agents such as ANTHRAX and SMALLPOX. Particular problems in detecting and handling attacks are the time lags between exposure of a population to dangerous agents and the onset of victims’ symptoms, and the fact that early symptoms might initially be taken as the result of a naturally occurring disease. Management of any biological attack must depend on systems already in place for managing new diseases, new epidemics or traditional diseases. The e?ectiveness of public-health surveillance varies widely from country to country, and even advanced economies may not have the sta? and facilities to investigate anything other than a recognised epidemic. As attacks might well occur without warning, tackling them could be a daunting task. Intelligence warnings about proposed attacks might, however, allow for some preventive and curative measures to be set up. Medical experts in the US believe that deployment of existing community disaster teams working to pre-prepared plans, and the development of specially trained strike teams, should cut the numbers of casualties and deaths from a bioterrorist attack. Nevertheless, bioterrorism is an alarming prospect.... bioterrorism
A herb that initiates a change in the metabolism of the body. It exercises a specific chemical action relating to vitamins, hormones, enzymes and minerals. Parsley is one of the most important. Others – Watercress, Alfalfa, Fenugreek seeds, Lettuce, Marshmallow, Carrots. ... biocatalyst
Vitamin P factors usually found with Vitamin C. Sources: most fruits, particularly citrus, grapefruit, grapes, lemons; rutin as found in buckwheat. They are associated with maintaining the strength of capillary walls in the elderly. One of the most popular and effective sources is Ginkgo that increases oxygen and blood supply in the general circulation, particularly the brain. ... bioflavonoids
A popular term for the inherent timing mechanism that supposedly controls physiological processes and cycles in living organisms. (See also biorhythms.)... biological clock
are analysed by staining, in which Abnormal area dyes are used to Normal to show up structures or identify constituents such as antibodies or enzymes. A tissue sample may be tested with specific antibodies in the investigation of infection and inflammation. In some cases, a tis-sue culture may be required.... biopsy samples
A diagnostic test in which a small sample of tissue is removed from the liver, usually under local anaesthesia. The main function of this test is to diagnose liver diseases. (See also biopsy.)... liver biopsy
See kidney biopsy.... renal biopsy
Removal of a portion of skin for laboratory analysis in order to diagnose a skin disorder.... skin biopsy
n. the ability of a material or device to be tolerated by living tissue or a living system; this means it must not be toxic, injurious, or physiologically reactive and must not cause a negative immunological response. Biocompatibility is important for materials embedded in the body. —biocompatible adj.... biocompatibility
n. an area of applied *ethics concerned with the life sciences generally and not limited to *medical ethics, academic study of which is often seen as a subspecialty of bioethics (biomedical ethics).... bioethics
n. an organized layer of microorganisms in which the cells stick to each other as well as to a surface. Biofilm may be implicated in several disease processes, including dental infections (see plaque), *endocarditis, infections of surgical implants, lung infections in people with *cystic fibrosis, and *glue ear. Its organized structure makes the biofilm resistant to attack.... biofilm
n. see biopharmaceutical.... biologic
(BRM) a therapeutic agent, such as *interferon or *interleukin, that influences the body’s defence mechanisms to act against infection and disease. In small amounts, these substances are produced naturally by the body; larger doses have been genetically developed for use against rheumatoid arthritis, hepatitis, and cancer (especially melanoma and renal cancer).... biological response modifier
any treatment that facilitates the ability of the immune system to fight disease, as opposed to acting directly against the disease (compare chemotherapy; radiotherapy). Such treatments, most commonly used for cancer and rheumatic disease, include *biological response modifiers, *immunotherapy, *monoclonal antibodies, *cytokine inhibitors and modulators, and *targeted agents.... biological therapy
(in dentistry) the combined width of the *junctional epithelium and connective tissue attachment around the root surface of a tooth: in other words, the distance between the deepest point of the gingival sulcus and the *alveolus. Dental restorations must respect this natural dimension if harmful consequences are to be avoided.... biologic width
n. the study of living organisms – plants, animals, and microorganisms – including their structure and function and their relationships with one another and with the inanimate world. —biological adj.... biology
n. a normal *metabolite that, when present in abnormal concentrations in certain body fluids, can indicate the presence of a particular disease or toxicological condition. For example, abnormal concentrations of glucose in the blood can be indicative of *diabetes mellitus.... biomarker
n. the measurement of living things and the processes associated with life, including the application of mathematics, particularly statistics, to problems in biology.... biometry
n. the science of mechanical or electronic systems that function in the same way as, or have characteristics of, living systems. Compare cybernetics. —bionic adj.... bionics
n. see ecology.... bionomics
(biological medical product)... biopharmaceutical
a physiological assessment of fetal wellbeing, based on scores for each of the following: fetal breathing, fetal movement, fetal tone, and *amniotic fluid volume (as observed on ultrasound) and fetal heart rate (measured by *cardiotocography). The maximum score is 10 (with 2 points for each component).... biophysical profile
n. a *biopharmaceutical (biologic) created to be very similar to a product already approved for clinical use whose patent has expired. Owing to their molecular complexity, it is not possible to produce identical (generic) versions of biological products. However, a growing number of biosimilars have been approved since the mid-2000s on the basis that they have no clinically meaningful differences from the original product.... biosimilar
n. the application of statistical techniques to studies in biology, especially in the fields of medicine and public health. The term embraces, and is to some extent synonymous with, vital statistics (e.g. *fertility and *mortality rates) and *demography.... biostatistics
the thickness or thinness of the *gingiva in the faciopalatal dimension. A thin gingival biotype is thought to have a direct relation with gingival recession following surgical and restorative procedures.... gingival biotype
an *interventional radiology technique in which, after taking a sample of tissue (biopsy) to check for cancer cells or abnormality, the tract of the biopsy needle is plugged with materials to prevent bleeding at the site. It is mostly used for liver and renal biopsies.... plugged biopsy
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