B. burgdorferi
B. burgdorferi: Short for Borrelia burgdorferi, the cause of Lyme disease. Once the full name of a bacterium has been given, it is customary to refer to it in its short form. For example, “Borrelia burgdorferi…is responsible for Lyme disease, which can lead to debilitating symptoms in humans….Estimates from prior studies of ticks infected with B. burgdorferi in Mendocino County are higher.” See also: Borrelia.
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- B-type natriuretic peptide
B-type natriuretic peptide: A 32-amino-acid polypeptide secreted by the ventricles of the heart in response to excessive stretching of heart muscle cells. The levels of B-type natriuretic peptide are elevated in patients with congestive heart failure, and correlate with both the severity of symptoms and the prognosis. Also known as BNP.
- B virus
B virus: An infectious agent commonly found among macaque monkeys, including rhesus macaques, pig-tailed macaques, and cynomolgus monkeys. Monkeys infected with this virus usually have no or mild symptoms. In humans, however, B virus infection can result in a fatal encephalomyelitis. B virus disease in humans is extremely rare, but often fatal — an estimated […]
- B cell
B cell: A type of white blood cell and, specifically, a type of lymphocyte. Many B cells mature into what are called plasma cells that produce antibodies (proteins) necessary to fight off infections while other B cells mature into memory B cells. All of the plasma cells descended from a single B cell produce the […]
- Beaded vitreous type Stickler syndrome
Beaded vitreous type Stickler syndrome: Stickler syndrome, type II. See: Stickler syndrome.
- Beals, Rodney K.
Beals, Rodney K.: (1931- ) American orthopaedic surgeon who described a number of congenital malformation syndromes. After graduating from the University of Oregon Medical School in 1956, Dr. Beals joined the faculty of the Oregon Health Sciences University in 1961 and became head of the Division of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation in 1981. Dr. Beals’ interests […]