Benzidine
Benzidine: A compound used mainly for dyeing textiles and paper that is a known human carcinogen (cancer-causing agent). Benzidine was one of the first chemicals for which an association of occupational exposure and increased incidence of urinary bladder cancer in humans was reported.
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- Benzo(a)pyrene
Benzo(a)pyrene: Abbreviated B(a)P. A member of a class of compounds known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The metabolites of B(a)P are mutagenic and highly carcinogenic. When the body tries to metabolize B(a)P, the resulting compounds react and bind to DNA which results in mutations and eventually cancer.
- Benzodiazepines
Benzodiazepines: A class of drugs that act as tranquilizers and are commonly used in the treatment of anxiety. Benzodiazepines can cause drowsiness.
- Bereavement
Bereavement: The period after a loss during which grief is experienced and mourning occurs. The duration of bereavement depends on both how attached the person was to the person (or pet) who died, and the amount of preparation time anticipating the loss.
- Bergamot oil
Bergamot oil: An aromatic extract of the rind of the bergamot orange used to flavor Earl Grey tea and in aromatherapy. It causes photosensitivity, due largely to the presence of 5-methoxypsoralen. Drinking very large amounts of Earl Grey tea can block the intestinal absorption of potassium.
- Bergstrom, Sune K
Bergstrom, Sune K: (1916-2004) Swedish physician and scientist who was awarded the Nobel prize for physiology or medicine in 1982 for isolating and elucidating the chemical structure of prostaglandins. The main breakthrough in prostaglandin research was made in the 1950s when Bergström and his associates succeeded in the purification of two important prostaglandins, PGE and […]