Glossary
acellularity:
being without cells or composed of tissue not divided into separate cells.
alkanethiols:
simple organosulfur compounds that are derivatives of hydrogen sulfide in the same way that alcohols are derivatives of water, in which an alkyl group (e.g., methane, ethane, propane) is joined to a mercapto group.
alkenyl:
any univalent aliphatic hydrocarbon radical CnH2n-1 derived from an alkene by removal of one hydrogen atom.
alkynyl:
a univalent aliphatic hydrocarbon radical containing a triple bond.
avascularity:
having few or no blood vessels.
catalytic deprotection:
in a catalytic reaction, cleavage of a protecting group from a molecule by a heat-stable species or substance.
corneum:
horny layer; in the stratum corneum, this is the outer, more or less horny part of the epidermis.
cytoplasm:
cell substance between the cell membrane and the nucleus, containing the cytosol, organelles, cytoskeleton, and various particles.
derivatized:
a chemical substance that is so related structurally to another substance as to be theoretically inferred even when it is not obtainable in practice.
deuterated:
containing the isotope of hydrogen, especially as the constituent of a chemical compound.
elastin:
a protein, similar to collagen, that forms the chief constituent of elastic fibers and contributes to the elastic properties of various tissues.
endothelial:
a type of epithelium composed of a single layer of smooth, thin cells that lines the heart, blood vessels, lymphatics, and serous cavities.
epithelial:
any animal tissue that covers a surface, or lines a cavity or the like, and that, in addition, performs any of various secretory, transporting, or regulatory functions. It usually consists almost entirely of closely packed flat (squamous) or columnar (cuboidal or pyramidal) cells, with little intercellular material.
haptic:
relating to, or based on, the sense of touch.
hepatocytes:
epithelial parenchymatous cells of the liver.
heterodyne:
noting or pertaining to a method of changing the frequency of an incoming radio signal by adding it to a signal generated within the receiver to produce fluctuations or beats of a frequency equal to the difference between the two signals.
hydrophilic:
having a strong affinity for water.
hydrophobic:
having a lack of affinity for water, or not readily wet by water.
hydroxyl functionality:
OH group (one atom of bonded oxygen to hydrogen) bound to another atom on a molecule.
laparoscopy:
examination of the abdominal cavity or performance of minor abdominal surgery using a flexible fiberoptic instrument passed through a small incision in the abdominal wall and equipped with biopsy forceps, an obturator, scissors or the like.
leucine:
a white, crystalline, water-soluble amino acid essential in the nutrition of humans and animals, which is obtained by the decomposition of proteins and made synthetically.
ligands:
molecules, such as antibodies, hormones, or drugs, that bind to a receptor.
lipophilic:
promoting the solubilization or absorption of lipids.
macular:
relating to an irregularly oval, yellow-pigmented area on the central retina, containing color-sensitive rods and the central point of sharpest vision.
moieties:
parts or portions of a molecule, generally complex, having a characteristic chemical property.
neoplastic:
relating to, or having the characteristics of, a new growth of tissue resembling the tissue from which it arises but having no physiologic function and being benign, potentially malignant, or malignant in character.
nucleation:
In crystallization processes, the formation of new crystal nuclei in supersaturated solutions.
retinopathy:
any diseased condition of the retina, the innermost coat of the posterior part of the eyeball that receives the image produced by the lens, especially a disease that is noninflammatory.
spinodal decomposition:
an unmixing process in which crystals with bulk composition in the central region of the phase diagram separate when cooled.
thienyl:
either of two univalent isomeric radicals derived from thiophene by removal of a hydrogen atom from either the alpha or 2-position or the beta or 3-position.