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auxin

(ok′sĭn) [auxo- + -in] A substance that promotes growth in plant cells and tissues.

auxo-, aux-

[Gr. auxanein, auxein, to grow, increase] Prefixes meaning growth, increase, as in auxin, auxology.

auxology

(og″zol′ŏ-jē″, ok″sol′ŏ-jē″) [auxo- + -logy] The study of the increase in height, weight, and head circumference, in childhood and adolescence.

auxotroph

(ok′sŏ-trōf″) [auxo- + -troph] An auxotrophic organism. SEE: auxotrophic.

auxotrophic

(ok-sŏ-trō′fĭk) [auxo- + -trophic] Requiring a growth factor that is different from that required by the parent organism. SEE: auxotroph.

auxotype

(ok′sŏ-tīp″) The appearance in a laboratory of a bacterial colony when it is grown on specified culture media.

A-V, AV

arteriovenous; atrioventricular.

A-V access

Arteriovenous access.

availability

(ă-vāl″ă-bil′ĭt-ē) 1. In nutrition, the extent to which a nutrient is present in a form that can be absorbed and used by the body. 2. Bioavailability.

availability heuristic

A nonsystematic form of reasoning based on how easily a solution to a problem is encountered in thought rather than in logic or careful analysis.

avascular

(ă-văs′kū-lăr) [1an- + vascular] Of tissues such as cartilage, lacking in blood vessels or having a poor blood supply.

avascularization

(ă-văs″kū-lăr-ĭ-zā′shŭn) 1. Deprivation of blood to tissues by interference with its arterial supply. 2. Expulsion of blood from tissues, esp. the extremities, as in the use of Esmarch's bandage.

A-V block

Atrioventricular block.

Avellis paralysis syndrome

(ă-vĕl′ēz) [Georg Avellis, Ger. laryngologist, 1864–1916] Paralysis of half of the soft palate, pharynx, and larynx and loss of pain, heat, and cold sensations on the opposite side.

average

Arithmetic mean.

aversion

(ă-vĕr′zhŏn, ă-vĕr′shŏn) [L. aversio, a turning away from] A strong feeling of dislike or repugnance.

aversion therapy

A form of behavior therapy to reduce or extinguish unwanted or hazardous behaviors. The goal of the therapy is to have the patient associate the undesirable behavior with something noxious, such as a foul taste, a headache, a hot flash, nausea or vomiting, or profuse sweating. In chemical aversion therapy, for example, a patient may be treated with a drug that makes the consumption of another substance, such as alcohol, extremely unpleasant. The use of chemical aversion ...

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