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autonomic nervous system
autonomic nervous system The part of the nervous system which controls involuntary activities such as homoeostasis. The autonomic nervous system is regulated by the hypothalamus and comprises two antagonistic parts, the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems. See also CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM...
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cgs system
cgs system system of units of measurement based on the metric system and having the centimeter of length, the gram of mass, and the second of time as its fundamental units. Other cgs units are the dyne of force and the erg of work or energy. The units of the cgs system are generally muc...
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blood groups
blood groups differentiation of blood by type, classified according to immunological (antigenic) properties, which are determined by specific substances on the surface of red blood cells. Blood groups are genetically determined and each is characterized by the presence of a specific complex carboh...
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immunology
immunology branch of medicine that studies the response of organisms to foreign substances, e.g., viruses , bacteria , and bacterial toxins (see immunity ). Immunologists study the tissues and organs of the immune system (bone marrow, spleen , tonsils , thymus, lymphatic system ), its speci...
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Schick test
Schick test diagnostic test designed to evaluate susceptibility to diphtheria . A small amount of diphtheria toxin is injected into the skin; the injection will produce an area of redness and swelling in individuals with low levels of antibody (i.e., little immunity ) against the toxin. If th...
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echinacea
echinacea , popular herbal remedy, or botanical, believed to benefit the immune system. It is used especially to alleviate common colds and the flu. Several controlled studies using it as a cold medicine have failed to find any benefit from its use, but a 2007 review of 14 different studies said tha...
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psychosomatic medicine
psychosomatic medicine , study and treatment of those emotional disturbances that are manifested as physical disorders. The term psychosomatic emphasizes essential unity of the psyche and the soma, a combination rooted in ancient Greek medicine. Common disorders caused at least partly by psycholog...
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sympathetic nervous system
sympathetic nervous system That part of the autonomic nervous system which generally acts to stimulate the body to cope with stress, such as increasing the rate of heart beat. Nerves of the sympathetic nervous system tend to form ganglia (ganglion) beside the vertebrae, preganglionic fibres leading ...
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gamma globulin
gamma globulin a group of globulin proteins in human blood plasma, including most antibodies . These antibody substances are produced as a protective reaction of the body's immune system to the invasion of disease-producing organisms (see immunity ). Injections of gamma globulin are used to cre...
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endocrine system
endocrine system , body control system composed of a group of glands that maintain a stable internal environment by producing chemical regulatory substances called hormones . The endocrine system includes the pituitary gland , thyroid gland , parathyroid glands , adrenal gland , pancreas , ov...
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