Principles of Biomedical Science Glossary (copy)

ABO System

A system of classifying human blood into four types (A, AB, B, and O) based on the presence or absence of certain antigens.

Accuracy

How close a measurement is to the true or accepted value.

Acquired Immunity

Specific immune defense mechanisms acquired over a lifetime.

Active immunity

Acquired through infection/recovery or vaccination; the body makes its own antibodies.

Passive immunity

Acquired from the mother (through the placenta or breastfeeding); antibodies are given to the child.

Adenine

A component of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) and ATP; a purine base.

Adenosine Tri-Phosphate (ATP)

A compound that supplies energy for many biochemical cellular processes.

Agglutination

The clumping of particles.

Algor Mortis

The change in body temperature after death.

Allele

Alternative forms of a gene at the same locus on a chromosome.

Amino Acid

A compound that links with other amino acids to form a protein.

Anemia

A condition where blood is deficient in red blood cells or functional red blood cells, leading to reduced oxygen levels.

Angiogram

A medical imaging technique to visualize blood vessels using an imaging dye.

Angioplasty

A surgical method to restore blood flow through an artery.

Antibody

A protein produced by B cells in the blood to impair pathogens; also called an immunoglobulin.

Anticodon

A sequence of three nucleotides in tRNA, complementary to a codon on mRNA.

Antigen

Anything that stimulates an immune response.

Aorta

The largest artery in the body; carries oxygenated blood from the left ventricle to the rest of the body.

Aortic Valve

A heart valve separating the left ventricle and the aorta; prevents backflow into the left ventricle.

App

A software application, especially for mobile devices.

Artery

A vessel carrying blood from the heart through the body.

Aseptic Technique

Practices to prevent contamination.

Atherosclerosis

The deposition of fats and/or cholesterol on artery walls, negatively impacting blood flow.

Atrioventricular Node

Part of the heart's conduction system that controls the impulse delivered by the sinoatrial node.

Atrium

An upper chamber of the heart where blood enters.

Attribute

Nonspatial information about a geographic feature in a GIS.

Autopsy

A postmortem evaluation to determine cause of death.

Autosome

A non-sex-determining chromosome, as opposed to sex chromosomes X and Y.

B Lymphocyte (B Cell)

A type of lymphocyte that matures in bone marrow and produces antibodies.

Bacillus

A rod-shaped bacterium.

Bacteria

A single-celled, prokaryotic microorganism.

Benign

A non-cancerous tumor; generally harmless.

Bibliography

A document listing all sources used to research a given topic.

Bioactive Compounds

Substances with a biological effect, such as anticancer, antifungal, antibacterial.

Biodiversity

The variety of life on Earth.

Biomarker

A measurable signal or predictor of disease or injury.

Biomedical Science

A professional field combining biology and medicine.

Biomimicry

Designing materials or structures modeled after living organisms.

Biomolecule

A large molecule produced by living organisms.

Bioprospecting

The search for medicinal drugs from living things.

Blood Plasma

The liquid portion of blood consisting of water and dissolved substances.

Blood Pressure

The pressure blood exerts on blood vessel walls.

Calorie

The amount of heat energy to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 °C.

Cancer

A disease caused when cells divide uncontrollably.

Carbohydrate

A compound found in foods that can be broken down for energy.

Cardiology

The study focused on the function and diseases of the heart.

Cardiovascular System

The transport system of the body; composed of the heart, blood vessels, and blood.

Cell

The smallest unit of life.

Centromere

The centralized region joining two sister chromatids.

Chemical Bond

An attractive force that holds together atoms in a molecule.

Chemical Indicator

A substance that changes color depending on the properties of the solution being tested.

Chemical Reaction

A process where atoms and/or molecules are rearranged.

Cholesterol

A lipid essential for animal cell membranes.

Chromatid

One half of a chromosome.

Chromosome

Tightly coiled DNA found in cell nuclei.

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)

A progressive degeneration of nerve cells from repeated head injuries.

Citation

A reference to a specific source of information.

Coccus

A spherical bacterium.

Codon

A sequence of three nucleotides in DNA or mRNA that codes for an amino acid.

Compound

A substance consisting of two or more elements in a fixed ratio.

Concussion

An injury to the head that causes the brain to move back and forth.

Constraints

Restrictions that limit process design.

Contagious

When a disease is transmissible by contact.

Control Group

The group in an experiment where the independent variable is not applied.

Coronary Artery Disease

The narrowing or blockage of coronary arteries.

Coronary Bypass

A surgical procedure to reroute blood around an obstruction in a coronary artery.

Covalent Bond

A chemical bond in which atoms share electron pairs.

Criteria

Standards used to make judgments or decisions.

Cytosine

A component of nucleic acids; a pyrimidine base.

Decision Matrix

A tool used to compare design solutions using specific criteria.

Dehydration Synthesis

A chemical reaction that results in the loss of a water molecule.

Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)

A type of nucleic acid consisting of nucleotide monomers; DNA functions in protein synthesis.

Dependent Variable

The variable being measured in an experiment.

Design Brief

A written plan that identifies a problem to be solved.

Design Process

A systematic, problem-solving process with criteria and constraints.

Design Statement

A description of the anticipated design effort to address stakeholder needs.

Diagnosis

The process of determining which disease explains a person’s symptoms.

Diastole

The stage in a heartbeat when the heart is relaxed.

Diastolic Pressure

The pressure in arteries between heartbeats.

Digestive System

An organ system that breaks down food to extract energy and nutrients.

Disaccharide

A sugar that forms when two monosaccharides join.

Disease

A disorder of structure or function in an organism.

Documentation

A record of citations used in writing a work.

Dominant Trait

A genetic trait considered dominant if the associated phenotype is seen with one copy of the gene.

Electrocardiogram (EKG)

A measurement of heart electrical activity.

Electrophoresis

The separation of charged biological molecules by electrical current.

Element

The building block of all matter composed of only one type of atom.

End User

A representative consumer for whom a product is designed.

Epidemiology

A branch of medical science that deals with health problems in a population.

Erythrocyte (Red Blood Cell)

Red blood cells that transport oxygen; they do not have nuclei.

Etiology

The cause of a disease or condition.

Eukaryotic

Organisms that have membrane-bound organelles.

Experiment

A research study conducted to understand a phenomenon.

Experimental Design

A process used to plan experiments to investigate scientific questions.

Familial Hypercholesterolemia

An autosomal, dominant genetic disorder that disrupts the body's ability to eliminate LDL.

Feature

A representation of a real-world object on a map.

Field

A column in a table that stores values for a single attribute.

Filter

A GIS operation used to hide features in a map or attribute table.

Forensic Chemistry

A field of chemistry that tests non-biological samples.

Forensic Science

The application of scientific knowledge to resolve legal questions.