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colchicine
colchicine , alkaloid extracted from plants of the genus Colchicum and especially from the corms of the autumn crocus, Colchicum autumnale (see meadow saffron ). The metabolic effect of colchicine is not known, but it is thought that it may decrease production of lactic acid and prevent accumul...
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cortisol
cortisol or hydrocortisone, steroid hormone that in humans is the major circulating hormone of the cortex, or outer layer, of the adrenal gland . Like cortisone , cortisol is classed as a glucocorticoid; it stimulates liver glycogen formation while it decreases the rate of glucose utilizati...
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ampicillin
ampicillin , a penicillin -type antibiotic that is effective against both gram-negative microorganisms and gram-positive microorganisms such as Escherichia coli. It is often used in the treatment of urinary tract infections, but resistant organisms are increasingly common (see drug resistance ...
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erythromycin
erythromycin , any of several related antibiotic drugs produced by bacteria of the genus Streptomyces (see antibiotic ). Erythromycin is most effective against gram-positive bacteria such as pneumococci, streptococci, and some staphylococci (see Gram's stain ). The antibiotic also has some effec...
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sympathomimetic drug
sympathomimetic drug , any of a group of substances whose actions resemble the response of stimulated sympathetic nerves (see nervous system ). These drugs include epinephrine and other catecholamines that are naturally produced in the body, and chemically similar substances such as ephedrine ...
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anticoagulant
anticoagulant , any of several substances that inhibit blood clot formation (see blood clotting ). Some anticoagulants, such as the coumarin derivatives bishydroxycoumarin (Dicumarol) and warfarin (Coumadin) inhibit synthesis of prothrombin, a clot-forming substance, and other clotting factors. The...
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neurotransmitter
neurotransmitter chemical that transmits information across the junction ( synapse ) that separates one nerve cell (neuron) from another nerve cell or a muscle. Neurotransmitters are stored in the nerve cell's bulbous end (axon). When an electrical impulse traveling along the nerve reaches the axon...
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synapse
synapse , junction between various signal-transmitter cells, either between two neurons or between a neuron and a muscle or gland. A nerve impulse reaches the synapse through the axon, or transmitting end, of a nerve cell, or neuron. Most axons have terminal knobs that respond to the impulse by rele...
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cephalosporin
cephalosporin , any of a group of more than 20 antibiotics derived from species of fungi of the genus Cephalosporium and closely related chemically to penicillin . Cephalosporins, e.g., cefaclor (Ceclor), act against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria (see Gram's stain ) by inhibiti...
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ibuprofen
ibuprofen , nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that reduces pain, fever, and inflammation. Along with naproxen and ketoprofen , ibuprofen belongs to the propionic acid class of NSAIDs. It was first made available in 1967. Like other NSAIDs, it acts by inhibiting the body's production of ...
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