Define 'synaptic plasticity'.
The ability of synapses to strengthen or weaken over time, in response to increases or decreases in their activity.
Define 'bioavailability' in pharmacology.
The proportion of a drug that enters the circulation when introduced into the body and so is able to have an active effect.
Define 'steric hindrance' in organic chemistry.
The prevention of chemical reactions at a certain location within a molecule due to the spatial arrangement of atoms or groups.
Define osmosis.
The movement of water across a semipermeable membrane from an area of low solute concentration to an area of high solute concentration.
Define 'genomic imprinting'.
An epigenetic phenomenon by which certain genes are expressed in a parent-of-origin-specific manner.
Define the law of mass action in the context of chemical reactions.
The rate of a chemical reaction is directly proportional to the product of the masses of the reactants.
Define 'potentiation' in pharmacology.
The increase in strength of nerve impulses along pathways that have been used previously, either short-term or long-term.
Define 'chirality' in organic chemistry.
The geometric property of a molecule having a non-superimposable mirror image, making it asymmetric.
Define 'haploinsufficiency'.
A condition where a diploid organism has only a single functional copy of a gene and this single copy is not sufficient to produce a normal phenotype, leading to an abnormal condition.
Define second law of thermodynamics in the context of biological systems.
In any energy exchange, if no energy enters or leaves the system, the potential energy of the state will always be less than that of the initial state, which means entropy increases.
Define 'monoclonal vs polyclonal antibodies'.
Monoclonal antibodies are identical antibodies produced by cells derived from a single cell clone. Polyclonal antibodies are a mixture of antibodies produced by different B cell clones in the body, each recognizing a different epitope of the same antigen.
Define enantiomers.
Molecules that are mirror images of each other but cannot be superimposed.
Define Gibbs free energy.
The energy associated with a chemical reaction that can be used to do work.
Define 'competitive exclusion principle' in ecology.
It states that two species competing for the same limiting resources cannot coexist at constant population values, if other ecological factors remain constant.
Define the term 'allosteric site'.
A site on an enzyme other than the active site, where a molecule can bind and change the enzyme's activity.
Define 'biotic potential'.
The maximum reproductive capacity of an organism under optimal environmental conditions.
Define 'optical isomerism'.
A form of stereoisomerism where molecules are mirror images of each other but cannot be superimposed.
Define 'allopathic medicine'.
A system of medicine that aims to combat disease by using remedies (such as drugs or surgery) which produce effects different from those produced by the disease being treated.
Define 'pharmacogenomics'.
The study of how genes affect a person's response to drugs.
Define pharmacokinetics.
The study of how the body absorbs, distributes, metabolizes, and excretes drugs.
Define 'pharmacokinetic phase' in drug action.
The phase involving the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of drugs in the body.
Define 'reactive oxygen species' (ROS) and their impact on cells.
Chemically reactive molecules containing oxygen that can damage cell structures, leading to oxidative stress.
Define 'autocrine signaling'.
A form of cell signaling where a cell secretes a hormone or chemical messenger (autocrine agent) that binds to autocrine receptors on the same cell, leading to changes in the cell.
Define 'bioremediation'.
The use of living organisms, like microbes and bacteria, to remove or neutralize contaminants from a polluted area.
Define 'ecotype'.
A genetically distinct geographic variety, population, or race within a species, which is adapted to specific environmental conditions.