binder

DEFINITION:

An abdominal girdle or bandage, especially one applied after childbirth to support the relaxed abdominal walls.

chemical bond

DEFINITION:

The linkage between two atoms or radicals of a chemical compound.

G

DEFINITION:

As G - Symbol for "gauss," "giga-," "gravida," and "guanine" or "guanosine."

As G - Symbol for "conductance," "gravitational constant," "Gibbs free energy," and "G force."

As g - Symbol for "gram."

As g - Symbol for "standard gravity."

antigen

DEFINITION:

A usually protein or carbohydrate substance (as a toxin or enzyme) capable of stimulating an immune response.

antibody

DEFINITION:

An immunoglobulin molecule that has a specific amino acid sequence by virtue of which it interacts only with the antigen that induced its synthesis in cells of the lymphoid series (especially plasma cells), or with an antigen closely related to it.

hormone

DEFINITION:

A product of living cells that circulates in body fluids and produces a specific effect on the activity of cells remote from its point of origin; especially: one exerting a stimulatory effect on a cellular activity.

hypophysiotropic hormones - Hormones produced by the hypothalamus, usually releasing hormones (see below), which maintain the endocrine functions of cells of the adenohypophysis.

neurohormone - A hormone secreted by a specialized neuron into the bloodstream, the cerebrospinal fluid, or the intercellular spaces of the nervous system.

releasing hormones - Hormones elaborated in one structure that cause the release of hormones from another structure, such as those from the hypothalamus that act on the adenohypophysis. The term is applied to substances of established chemical identity, whereas substances of unknown chemical structure are called releasing factors .

receptor

DEFINITION:

1. A molecular structure within a cell or on the surface characterized by (1) selective binding of a specific substance and (2) a specific physiologic effect that accompanies the binding, e.g., membrane receptors for peptide hormones, neurotransmitters, antigens, complement fragments, and immunoglobulins and nuclear receptors for steroid hormones.

2. A sensory nerve terminal that responds to stimuli of various kinds; classified in various ways including by the type of stimulus and by the location in the body.

V2 receptor - The structure to which the antidiuretic hormone, arginine vasopressin binds.