Factor, rheumatoid
Factor, rheumatoid: An antibody that is measurable in the blood. Rheumatoid factor is commonly used as a blood test for the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid factor is present in about 80 percent of adults (and a much lower proportion of children) with rheumatoid arthritis. It is also present in patients with other connective tissue diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus and Sj’gren’s syndrome, and in some with infectious diseases, including infectious hepatitis.
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- Facultative heterochromatin
Facultative heterochromatin: Chromosome material that can be either heterochromatin or euchromatin. The inactive X chromosome is made up of facultative heterochromatin. When a woman transmits that X chromosome to a son, the chromosome reverts to the euchromatic state and to genetic activity.
- Facultative
Facultative: 1. In general, not obligatory but rather capable of adapting to different conditions. 2. In bacteriology, bacteria that can grow under either aerobic or anaerobic circumstances (with or without oxygen).
- FAE (fetal alcohol effects)
FAE (fetal alcohol effects): A softer diagnosis than fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). The diagnosis of possible FAE is considered when: 1. The person has some signs of FAS; 2. The person does not meet all of the necessary criteria for FAS; and 3. There is a history of alcohol exposure before birth.
- Fahr syndrome
Fahr syndrome: A rare, inherited, progressive brain disorder that is characterized clinically by involuntary movements, prolonged muscle contractions, and dementia. It is characterized by abnormal deposits of calcium in the basal ganglia and cerebral cortex of the brain. The gene that is responsible for Fahr syndrome has been mapped to chromosome 14. There is no […]
- Fahrenheit
Fahrenheit: Thermometer scale in which the freezing point of water is 32°F and the boiling point of water 212°F. The Fahrenheit scale is still obstinately in use in the US. This anachronism requires conversion from Centigrade (°C) to Fahrenheit (°F), and vice versa. One degree °C = (5/9)(°F – 32). One degree °F = (9/5)(°C) […]