Dictionary of biology PDF
Preview Dictionary of biology
NO. 321 $4.95 IN CANADA $5 85 DICTIONARY OF •Ti«an~i> .»T.i A BARNES & NOBLE REFERENCE BOOK Dictionary of Biology the text of this book is printed on 100% recycledpaper Everyday Handbooks Dictionary of Biology Edwin B. Steen Hill BARNES NOBLE BOOKS & A DIVISION OF HARPER & ROW, PUBLISHERS New York, Hagerstown, San Francisco, London Copyright, 1971 By Edwin B. Steen All rights reserved. No part ofthis book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Library ofCongress CatalogCard Number: 70-156104 SBN 389 00333 6 Published in the United States ofAmerica 77 787980 12 11 10 9 Preface This dictionary, which comprises approximately 12,000 terms, was written to provide students of biology at all levels with a handy and reliable source for the meanings ofterms in the field of biology in general and definitions pertinent to the various allied sciences. An effort was made to bring together in one volume not onlycommonlyusedterms but also the morespecial- ized and less frequently employed terms, and especially new terms which have been introduced and have come into usage with the recent developments of modern biology. To incorporate as many terms as possible, the definitions are frequently presented in brief analytical or functional phrases, thus deliberately avoiding the more comprehensive type of treatment appropriate to larger reference works. Taxonomic names, except for some of the major groups, are not included as entries with definitions; however, under their common names, representatives ofthe principal groups are listed and the groups are characterized. The author wishes to thank the many scientists who have un- knowingly contributed to this Dictionary ofBiology, especially the writers of scientific papers and the authors of texts in the fields of zoology, botany, anatomy and physiology, and the various subsciences such as embryology, histology, ecology, genetics, endocrinology, parasitology, and others. These writers have provided the basic information from which the author has attempted to arrive at definitions that are concise and accurate. The author is particularly grateful to all those who have assisted in the creation of this book, especially to Dr. Richard Brewer, Dr. Joseph Engemann, and Mr. Frank Hinds of Western Michigan University for their critical readings and their helpful comments. He is further indebted to Miss Margaret Kohler for her substantive suggestions and emendations and to members ofthe editorial staff ofBarnes & Noble, Inc., for their assistance in bringing this project nearly a decade in preparation to completion. Using This Dictionary A dictionary may be used simply to obtain the meaning of an unknown term. However, its value can be greatly enhanced if it is also utilized as a text. Since this dictionary lists terms in all the principal subdivisions of biology, the reading of entries on a single page will provide the reader with a knowledge of new words and will usually reward him with new information in one or several fields. A further systematized study of words and their meanings will greatly broaden his general knowledge and increase his understanding and appreciation of the world about him. Following good dictionary style, all entries are listed in alpha- betical order. Boldface numerals (1, 2) separate multi-sense entries; boldface letters (a, b) identify coordinate subsenses. Subject labels {bot., zool.) are often abbreviated and are set in italic. Cross references are identified by the words see or compare set in italic. A word appearing in small capital letters (tripton) signifies that that word is itself defined at the appropriate alphabetical point in the book. A word may be followed by q.v. {quod vide) if the author feels that the user would find it especially helpful to inform himself of that word's meaning. The following are standard abbreviations that are used in this dictionary. anat. anatomy entomol entomology anthropol. anthropology ethnol ethnology bacteriol. bacteriology histol. histology biochem. biochemistry med. medicine bioi biology microbiol. microbiology bot. botany ornith. ornithology chem. chemistry pathol. pathology ecol. ecology phar. pharmacy embryol. embryology physiol. physiology endocrin. endocrinology zool. zoology vn
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