Category: I

A form of radiation capable of releasing electrons from atoms. Ionizing irradiation of bacterial cells has a destructive effect upon DNA and other components, which results in the death of the cells without appreciable temperature rise; the process is therefore termed ‘cold sterilization’. Radiant electromagnetic energy or high-energy particles that ionize atoms in a substance…

To separate into ions.  

A chamber for detecting the ionization of an enclosed gas. The is used for determining the intensity of ionization radiation. A small cavity filled with air which has the capability of collecting the ionic charge which is liberated during irradiation. A measure of this charge combined with knowledge of the mass of air in the…

Dissociation into ions. The removal of an electron from a neutral atom, resulting in a positively charged ion (the ionized atom) and a free, negatively charged electron. Ionization at the cellular level can lead to cell death or mutation. The separation of an atom or molecule into positive and negative ions. The phenomenon through which…

Involutional melancholia.  

An inward curvature. The return of an organ to its usual size, e.g. the shrinking of the uterus after childbirth. A period of decline of organs which sets in after middle age. Decrease in the size of an organ, as in the return of the uterus to its normal size after childbirth. V. involute. The…

Muscles that make up the blood vessels and other organs such as the stomach. A muscle supplied by the autonomic nervous system, and therefore not under voluntary control, e.g. the muscle which actiyates a vital organ such as the heart. Muscle that is not under conscious control, such as the muscle of the gut, stomach,…

Any action performed independent of the will. An action which someone does without thinking or making a conscious decision.  

Proprietary hospitals.