Category: E

A large localized tissue reaction in an arm or a leg after the injection of certain vaccines. DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis) vaccination, e.g., results in injection site swelling of muscle and subcutaneous tissue in approx. 2% to 6% of children receiving booster doses of the vaccine. The swelling resolves spontaneously in about 4…

Not prepared according to formula but devised for the occasion.  

Fragments of a protein that link to form a new protein after an internal sequence (an intein) of the larger molecule is removed by post-translational splicing.    

Movement of material including cells and electrolytes from the blood to the lumen of the intestines. In pathological conditions such as intestinal obstruction, this process may greatly increase pressure inside the affected area of the intestinal tract.  

In gynecology, the rate of spontaneous rejection of intrauterine contraceptive devices in the group of women who use them. It is usually expressed with respect to the time elapsed following implantation.  

A treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder in which a person is repeatedly exposed to something that would normally trigger a stereotyped or ritualistic response but is prevented from engaging in the ritual.  

The route that an infectious, toxic, or radioactive substance takes as it enters the body. Airborne toxins, for example, usually enter the body by inhalation, although they may be deposited on the skin and be absorbed transcutaneously. Foodborne toxins typically enter the body by ingestion.  

The maximum concentration of a substance with which an organism can have contact without suffering adverse effects.  

A formal study of the impact of a hazardous substance on people, places, or things. It includes determination of the source(s) of the substance, its diffusion through the environment, its concentration, its duration and half-life, and the populations or media that are vulnerable to its effects.  

In mathematics, the number that indicates the power to which another number is to be raised. It is written as a superscript (e.g., 102 or x2 indicates that 10 and x are to be squared, or multiplied by themselves). The exponent can have any numerical value and may be positive or negative; it does not…