Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

The pharmacophore (i.e., active ingredient) in secretions of the tropical neem tree, which resists insect depradations.  

The “tightness of fit” between a given antibody’s combining site and the antigenic determinant that it combines with. The firmness of the combination of antigen with antibody.  

All chromosomes except the sex chromosomes. A diploid cell has two copies of each autosome. Any chromosome that is not a sex chromosome; in each human cell, 22 pairs of chromosomes are autosomes; the remaining pair of the 23 are the sex chromosomes. Any of the 22 ordinary paired chromosomes in humans, distinguished from the…

A disease in which the body produces an immunogenic (i.e., immune system) response to some constituent of its own tissue. In other words the immune system loses its ability to recognize some tissue or system within the body as “self and targets and attacks it as if it were foreign. Autoimmune diseases can be classified…

The action of a gene product (a molecule) that either inhibits (negative autogenous control) or activates (positive autogenous control) expression of the gene that codes for it. The presence of the product either causes or stops its own production.  

An antifungal antibiotic produced by a strain of Streptomyces aureofaciens. At least one company has incorporated the gene for this antibiotic (which acts against wheat take-all disease) into a Pseudomonasfluorescens, to be used to confer resistance to wheat take-all disease. This is done by allowing the bacteria to colonize the wheat’s roots. In this way…

Endocrine components (proteins) that act to regulate blood pressure, as well as water and electrolyte homeostasis within the body. Atrial peptides are made by the heart in response to elevated blood pressure levels; and they stimulate the kidneys to excrete water and sodium into the urine, thus lowering blood pressure. They also slow the heartbeat.…

An atrial peptide hormone that may regulate blood pressure and electrolyte balance within the body. An example is a peptide hormone. A peptide secreted by the atrial tissue of the heart in response to an increase in blood pressure. It influences blood pressure, blood volume, and cardiac output. It increases the excretion of sodium and…

Adenosine triphosphatase, an enzyme that hydrolyzes (clips the bond between two phosphates in) ATP to yield ADP, phosphate, and energy. The reaction is usually coupled to an energy-requiring process. ATP is hydrolyzed in the act of shivering and the energy produced is converted into heat to increase body temperature. This type of heat production involves…

An enzyme complex that forms ATP from ADP and phosphate during oxidative phosphorylation in the inner mitochondrial membrane (in animals), in chloroplasts (in plants), and in cell membranes (in bacteria). This is an energy-producing reaction in that ATP is a high-energy compound used by cells to maintain their living condition.