Abiotic
Abiotic: 1. Not associated with living organisms.
2. Anything in the environment incapable of life, such as the soil or weather.
3. Incompatible with life or antagonist to it.
Also called abiological.
Read Also:
- Abducent nerve
Abducent nerve: The sixth cranial nerve, which emerges from the skull to operate the lateral rectus muscle. This muscle draws the eye toward the side of the head. Paralysis of the abducent nerve causes inward turning of the eye.
- Ablation
Ablation: Removal or excision. Ablation is usually carried out surgically. For example, surgical removal of the thyroid gland (a total thyroidectomy) is ablation of the thyroid.
- ABG (arterial blood gas)
ABG (arterial blood gas): The sampling of the blood levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide within the arteries, as opposed to the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in venous blood. Typically, the acidity, or pH, of the blood is measured simultaneously in ABG sampling.
- Abnormal
Abnormal: Outside the expected norm, or uncharacteristic of a particular patient.
- Ablate
Ablate: To remove. A tumor may be ablated. To ablate the thyroid gland is to remove it. The word “ablation” came from the Latin “ablatum” meaning to carry away.