Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

amphotericin B

(Encyclopedia)amphotericin B ămˌfətĕrˈĭsĭn [key], antibiotic that halts the growth of several disease-causing fungi. Discovered in 1956, it is produced by bacteria of the genus Streptomyces. It is used in lo...

erythema

(Encyclopedia)erythema ĕrˌəthēˈmə [key], more or less diffuse redness of the skin due to concentration of an abnormally large amount of blood within the small vessels of the skin (hyperemia), as in burns. Ery...

tarantella

(Encyclopedia)tarantella târˈəntĕlˈə [key], Neapolitan folk dance that first appeared in Taranto, Italy, in the 17th cent. It had rapid 6–8 meter with an increasing tempo and was thought to cure the bite of...

spavin

(Encyclopedia)spavin spăvˈĭn [key], disease of horses affecting the hock joint. There are two types—bog spavin, in which the hock joint is distended as a result of the collection of synovial fluid; and bone sp...

tissue culture

(Encyclopedia)tissue culture, the propagation of plants through the placement of small amounts of undifferentiated tissue or single cells in an artificial environment. The tissue is placed in a nutrient medium that...

arteriosclerosis

(Encyclopedia)arteriosclerosis ärtĭrˌēōsklərōˈsis [key], general term for a condition characterized by thickening, hardening, and loss of elasticity of the walls of the blood vessels. These changes are freq...

arrhythmia

(Encyclopedia)arrhythmia ārĭᵺˈmēə [key], disturbance in the rate or rhythm of the heartbeat. Various arrhythmias can be symptoms of serious heart disorders; however, they are usually of no medical significan...

distemper

(Encyclopedia)distemper, in veterinary medicine, highly contagious, catarrhal, often fatal disease of dogs. It also affects wolves, foxes, mink, raccoons, and ferrets. Distemper is caused by a filtrable virus that ...

Cohn, Ferdinand

(Encyclopedia)Cohn, Ferdinand fĕrˈdĕnänt kōn [key], 1828–98, German botanist. He is considered a founder of the science of bacteriology. From his early studies of microscopic life he developed theories of th...

Hartford Foundation

(Encyclopedia)Hartford Foundation, fund established (1929) by retail food merchants John A. Hartford (1872–1951) and George L. Hartford (1864–1957) of the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company (A&P) as a p...