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BellaPelle Glossary
An Introduction to Skin
Question | Answer |
---|---|
abdomen | The part of the body between the pelvis and the thorax visceral organs. |
abducens | A nerve that moves the eye outward. (Latin ab = away; duc = lead) |
abduct | An action that moves away from the body. |
abductor | A muscle that moves a limb (arm or leg) away from the body. |
abiotic | Refers to a non-living (physical or chemical) component of the environment, as opposed to biotic, or living. |
abrasion | The mechanical process of gradually breaking down a surface by rubbing. |
abscess | (L. abscessus = a going away) Dead cells and tissue fluid confined in a localized area, causing swelling and containing white blood cells (neutrophils). |
absorption spectrum | Graph of absorbance values of different wavelengths of light. Used in chemistry to both identify and measure substances that absorb light. |
acanthosis | (G akantha = prickly, thorny) Thickening of the prickly layer of the skin. |
acetabulum | (from the Latin for a little saucer for vinegar) The socket in the hipbone that receives the femoral head. |
acetyl choline | A neurochemical liberated by certain neurons that conducts chemical messages. |
acid | H+(proton donor); a substance that disassociates to release H+ and thus cause the pH of the solution to be less than 7.0 |
acidic | Possessing a relatively large number of hydrogen ions; having a pH less than 7.0 |
acinar | Latin; Acin is a berry and means cellular arrangement found in some glands. |
acoustic | Greek, Acous means to hear. Pertains to sound. |
acquired immunity | Arousing from a specific immune response, stimulated by antigen in the hosts body (active)or in the body of another individual by antibodies of lymphocytes transferred to the host (passive). |
acridine dyes | Organic pigments used as dye that fluoresce various colors, depending on specific conditions. |
acrocentric | (G. akros, tip + kentron, center) Chromosome with centromere near the end. |
acrocentric | (G. akros = top most + omos = point) A bony process on the scapula. |
actin | A protein in a muscle fiber that, together with myosin, is responsible for contraction and relaxation. |
action potential | The sequence of electrical changes occurring when a nerve cell membrane is exposed to a stimulus that exceeds its threshold. |
active transport | A process that requires expenditure of ATP energy to move molecules across a cell membrane; also called facilitated transport. |