English Glossary
There are 75 entries in this glossary. Add a new entryAll
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Adjuvant |
Adjuvants are agents which modify the effect of other agents while having few if any direct effects when given by themselves. In this sense, they are very roughly analogous with chemical catalysts. In immunology an adjuvant is an agent which, while not having any specific antigenic effect in itself, may stimulate the immune system, increasing the response to a vaccine. |
| Aluminium hydroxide |
Aluminium hydroxide is included as an adjuvant in some vaccines, since it contributes to induction of a good antibody (Th2) response. However, it has little capacity to stimulate cellular (Th1) immune responses, important for protection against many pathogens. |
| Angioedema |
Angioedema or Quincke's edema is the rapid swelling (edema) of the dermis, subcutaneous tissue, mucosa and submucosal tissues. |
| Arthralgia |
Arthralgia (from Greek arthro-, joint + -algos, pain) literally means joint pain. |
| Asthenia |
Asthenia (Greek: ασθένεια, lit. lack of strength but also disease) is a medical term denoting a feeling of weakness without actual loss of strength. |
| attenuated |
Attenuation in virology is reducing the virulence of a virus, whilst keeping it viable (or 'live'), for the purpose of creating a vaccine.Viruses may be attenuated via passage of the virus through a foreign host, such as tissue culture, embryonated eggs or live animals. |
| CDC |
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (or CDC) is a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services based in Atlanta, Georgia. |
| Congenital |
A congenital disorder, or congenital disease, is a condition existing at birth and often before birth, or that develops during the first month of life (neonatal disease), regardless of causation. A congenital disorder may be the result of genetic abnormalities, the intrauterine (uterus) environment, errors of morphogenesis, infection, or a chromosomal abnormality. |
| Demyelination |
A demyelinating disease is any disease of the nervous system in which the myelin sheath of neurons is damaged.This impairs the conduction of signals in the affected nerves, causing impairment in sensation, movement, cognition, or other functions depending on which nerves are involved. |
| DMEM |
DMEM is a cell culture medium by Harry Eagle that can be used to maintain cells in tissue culture. It contains:amino acids, salts (calcium chloride, potassium chloride, magnesium sulfate, sodium chloride, and monosodium phosphate, glucose, vitamins (folic acid, nicotinamide, riboflavin, B-12, iron and phenol red. DMEM is suitable for most types of cells, including human, monkey, hamster, rat, mouse, chicken and fish cells. |
| Dysplasia |
Dysplasia is a term used in pathology to refer to an abnormality of development, it generally consists of an expansion of immature cells. Dysplasia can be an early sign of a neoplastic process. |
| EEG |
Electroencephalography (EEG) is the recording of electrical activity along the scalp produced by the firing of neurons within the brain. In clinical contexts, EEG refers to the recording of the brain's spontaneous electrical activity over a short period of time, usually 20–40 minutes, as recorded from multiple electrodes placed on the scalp. In neurology, the main diagnostic application of EEG is in the case of epilepsy, as epileptic activity can create clear abnormalities on a standard EEG study. |
| Encephalitis |
Encephalitis is an acute inflammation of the brain. |
| Encephalomyelitis |
Encephalomyelitis is a general term for inflammation of the brain and spinal cord, describing a number of disorders, i.e. acute disseminated encephalomyelitis or postinfectious encephalomyelitis, encephalomyelitis disseminata, a synonym for multiple sclerosis; |
| Erythema |
Erythema is redness of the skin caused by capillary congestion. |