Glossary

The half-maximal effective concentration.

The midpoint of a dose response curve.

The swelling caused by an accumulation of fluid in the body's tissues. Edema can be caused by a variety of factors, including heart failure, kidney disease, liver disease, and certain medications. Symptoms can include swelling, stiffness, and pain in the affected area.

The process by which the body gets rid of a drug.

The time it takes to get rid of half of a particular drug from an organ or from the whole body.

An enzyme which cleaves a polynucleotide chain by separating nucleotides other than the two end ones.

A thin layer of cells that lines the interior surface of blood vessels, as well as the heart and lymphatic vessels. It is responsible for regulating the passage of molecules and cells into and out of the bloodstream.

A measure of the amount of disorder or randomness in a system, such as a cell or organism. In biological systems, entropy tends to increase over time, leading to a breakdown of organization and function.

A sudden severe outbreak of a disease.

Cells which cover the skin and blood vessels.

A segment of a DNA or RNA molecule containing information coding for a protein or peptide sequence.

Each of a pair of globular organs in the head through which people and vertebrate animals see, the visible part typically appearing almond-shaped in animals with eyelids.