Category: C
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Computational Biology
A field of biology concerned with the development of techniques for the collection and manipulation of biological data, and the use of such data to make biological discoveries or predictions. This field encompasses all computational methods and theories applicable to molecular biology and areas of computer-based techniques for solving biological problems including manipulation of models…
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Complementary medicine
Practices not generally recognized by the medical community as standard or conventional medical approaches and used to enhance or complement the standard treatments. Complementary medicine includes the taking of dietary supplements, megadose vitamins, and herbal preparations; the drinking of special teas; and practices such as massage therapy, magnet therapy, spiritual healing, and meditation. Therapies or…
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Complementary and alternative medicine
Forms of treatment that are used in addition to (complementary) or instead of (alternative) standard treatments. These practices are not considered standard medical approaches. CAM includes dietary supplements, megadose vitamins, herbal preparations, special teas, massage therapy, magnet therapy, spiritual healing, and meditation. This is the title used for a diverse group of health-related therapies and…
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Complement Factor I
Serine proteinase that acts on iC3b (inactivated complement 3b) to cleave it into C3c and C3dg with the help of a trypsin-like proteolytic enzyme. Complement factor I was formerly called KAF, C3bINF, or enzyme 3b inactivator.
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Complement 3b
The larger fragment formed when C3 convertase splits C3 into C3a and C3b. In both the classical and alternate pathway, C3b participates in immune adherence and enhances phagocytosis. It also forms a cellular intermediate which continues the complement process. In the alternate pathways, C3b initiates a positive feedback activation of C3Pase.
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Competency
The capacity of the bacterium to take up DNA from its surroundings. The ability to perform certain skills at appropriate levels.
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Commensal
Living on or within another organism, and deriving benefit without injuring or benefiting the other individual. An organism living on or within another, but not causing injury to the host. This adjective is used to describe a situation in which several people eat together. The word comes from two Latin words, the preposition cum, meaning…
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Combinatorial
A cut-and-paste process that churns out thousands of potentially valuable compounds at once.
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Combination Therapy
Association of 3 drugs to treat AIDS (AZT + DDC or DDI + protease inhibitor).
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Colony-Stimulating Factors
Glycoproteins found in a subfraction of normal mammalian plasma and urine. They stimulate the proliferation of bone marrow cells in agar cultures and the formation of colonies of granulocytes and/or macrophages. The factors include interleukin-3 (IL-3), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). Specific glycoprotein growth factors required for…