| 释义 |
bio-|ˈbaɪəʊ|
repr. Gr. βίο- stem and comb. form of βίος ‘life, course or way of living’ (as distinct from ζωή ‘animal life, organic life’). Hence, in compounds formed in Greek itself, as biography, βιογραϕία; and in modern scientific words in which bio- is extended to mean ‘organic life.’ bio-aˈssay = biological assay (see assay n. 6 b); bio-astroˈnautic a., of or pertaining to bio-astronautics; bio-astroˈnautics n. pl. (see quots.); bio-biblioˈgraphical a., dealing with the life and writings of an author; bio-bibliˈography, a bibliography containing biographical information about the author or authors; bioblast [Gr. βλαστός sprout, germ], (Biol.) a minute mass of amorphous protoplasm having formative power; bioˈcentric a., treating life as a central fact; bioˈchemic a., pertaining to the chemistry of life; ˈbiochrome, any natural colouring matter of plants or animals; hence bioˈchromic a., bioˈchromy (see quot. 19441); bioˈcolloid Chem. [contracted form of biological colloid: cf. G. biokolloid], a colloid derived from an organic substance; ˈbiodata n. pl. (chiefly U.S. and Anglo-Indian) = curriculum vitae s.v. curriculum; biographical details, esp. those supplied by candidates applying for a job; biodeˈgradable a., susceptible to the decomposing action of living organisms, esp. of bacteria; occas., broken down by biochemical processes in the body; so ˌbiodegradaˈbility, biodegraˈdation; ˌbiodeterioˈration, deterioration of a substance or material caused by the action of living organisms; so biodeˈteriorative a.; biodyˈnamic, -al a., of or relating to biodynamics; biodyˈnamics, that part of biological science which treats of vital force, or of the action of living organisms; bio-eˈcology (see quot. 1957); bioelectric(al |baɪəʊɪˈlɛktrɪk, -əl| a., of or pertaining to electrical phenomena produced in living organisms; hence bioelecˈtricity, electrical phenomena produced in living organisms; bio-enerˈgetics, the study of the transformation of energy in living organisms; bioengiˈneering, the application of engineering techniques to biological processes; so bioengineer; bioˈflavonoid = flavonoid; biogeoˈchemistry [f. geochemistry, after Russ. biogeokhimiya], the branch of biochemistry that deals with the relation of chemicals found in the soil to living organisms; the biological application of geochemistry; hence biogeoˈchemical a.; biˈognosy, a proposed general term for the ‘life-sciences’; bioherm |ˈbaɪəʊhəm|, Geol. [Gr. ἕρµα sunken rock, reef], a reef (as a coral reef) formed from organic material; biokiˈnetics (see quot.); ˈbiolith Geol. [ad. G. biolith (C. G. Ehrenberg, 1854): -lith], a rock formed from organic material; bioˈlytic a., life-destroying; biomagˈnetic a., of or pertaining to animal magnetism; bioˈmagnetism, animal magnetism; ˈbiomass, the total weight of the organic substance (as plankton) or organisms in a given area; biomatheˈmatics (see quots.); bioˈmedical a., pertaining or relating to both biology and medicine; spec. pertaining to the biological effects of space-travel; biˈometer, a measurer of life; bioˈmolecule (see quot.); hence biomoˈlecular a. (1909 in Cent. Dict. Suppl.); biophysiˈologist, an investigator of the physiology of living beings; ˈbiosatellite (orig. U.S.), an artificial satellite containing living organisms for experimental purposes; ˈbioscience, a collective term for the biological sciences; hence bioscientist; bioˈsocial a., of or pertaining to the interaction of biological and social factors; relating to both biology and sociology; biosociˈology (see quot. 1901); so biosocioˈlogical a., involving both biological and sociological factors; biospelæˈology, -eology [ad. F. biospéléologie (A. Vire 1904, in Comptes rendus Acad. Sci. Paris CXXXIX. 992), f. spelæology.], the study of the fauna of caves; hence biospelæoˈlogical a.; bioˈstatic, -al a., of or pertaining to biostatics; bioˈstatics, that part of biological science which treats of structure as adapted to act, as distinguished from biodynamics or biokinetics; biostrome |ˈbaɪəstrəʊm|, Geol. [Gr. στρῶµα mattress, bed]: see quots.; bioˈsynthesis, the production of a chemical substance by a living organism; hence biosynˈthetic a., pertaining to biosynthesis; (of a substance) produced by a living organism; ˈbiotech, colloq. abbrev. of biotechnology 2; also attrib.; bioˈtechnics, the practical application of discoveries in the biological sciences; so bioˈtechnic a.; ˈbiozone Geol. (see quot.).
1912H. C. Wood in Jrnl. Amer. Med. Assoc. LIX. 1433/2 The underlying principle of physiologic standardization, or as those engaged in this work prefer to call it, the bio⁓assay, is to determine the quantity of a given sample of drug required to produce some easily recognizable effect on a lower animal. Ibid. 1434/1 The bio-assay must be acknowledged as a great step forward in the direction of accuracy in our materia medica. 1939Nature 8 July 76/2 A bioassay on the isolated benzoate..gave an 80 per cent response in a group of ten mice, each receiving a single dose of 0·5 γ in nut oil. 1955New Biol. XIX. 52 The suitability of an inbred strain of mice for the bio-assay of oestrogens.
1961Flight LXXIX. 344/2 American bio⁓astronautic activities.
1957N.Y. Times Mag. 20 Oct. 12/1 The third phase has a wholly new name, ‘bioastronautics’—the study of man's capabilities and needs, and the means of meeting those needs, for travel in outer space. 1959H. Strughold in Space Weapons 136 Space medicine..can..be considered a branch of the more general field which we call ‘bioastronautics’, the investigation of every aspect of life in the universe, as it may be encountered by men from this planet in the future.
1809Southey Lett. (1856) II. 162 This collectanea may be formed into a biobibliographical and critical account. 1880Athenæum 25 Dec. 845/3 One more instalment will complete the biobibliographical part.
1959L. M. Harrod Librarians' Gloss. (ed. 2) 39 Biobibliography, a bibliography which contains brief biographical details about the authors.
1944D. L. Fox in Science C. 470/2 From the standpoint of the biochemist..concerned with the metabolic significance of natural coloring matters, the designation of these by a discriminating scientific term has long been desirable. In response to an inquiry, Dr. George M. Calhoun..suggested to the writer [in a personal communication, 1936] the descriptive and self-explanatory term biochrome, with an adjective biochromatic (biochromic is perhaps preferable), and a collective noun biochromy. Ibid. 471/1 Biochromes..possess two chief characteristics in common, i.e., their origin and occurrence in living organisms and their reflection of a fundamental chemical property, the selective absorption of light waves in the visible spectrum. Ibid., Our present understanding of the parts played by..biochromic compounds in the metabolic economy of organisms leaves much to be desired. 1954Sci. News XXXIV. 91 [Porphyrins] probably serve in this role, as well as a biochrome, in insects.
1917Chem. Abstr. 3283 (title) Effect of acids and salts on ‘bio-colloids’. Ibid., An extension of the tests..was made to include mixts. of the ‘bio-colloid’ agar. 1932Ibid. 19 (title) Studies of the combination of biocolloids. 1956Nature 24 Mar. 562/2 General behaviour of biocolloids and polyelectrolytes in aqueous solution.
1968Amer. Psychologist xxiii. 782/2 The best prediction of what a man will do in the future is what he has done in the past. It is precisely what a subject has done that bio-data measure. 1971Hindustan Times Weekly (New Delhi) 4 Apr. 8/6 (Advt.), Candidates with agricultural spraying experience need only apply..giving complete bio-data, qualifications and experience. 1981Amer. Speech 1977 LII. 219 There are now in hand the replies of 1000 informants..together with the requisite biodata. 1986Sunday Observer (Sri Lanka) 24 Aug. 5 (Advt.), Vacancies exist for General Clerks{ddd}Apply with full bio-data.
1960Biochim. & Biophys. Acta XLIII. 348 (heading) Biodegradation of dehydro-l-ascorbic acid; 2, 3-diketo-aldonic acid decarboxylase from rat liver. 1961Nelson et al. in Devel. Industrial Microbiology II. 93 The present study was initiated to provide information on the effect of molecular structure on the biodegradability of synthetic detergents. Ibid. 101 Compounds with strictly linear side chains and those containing one or two methyl branches on the carbon atom attached to the benzene ring are readily biodegradable. 1962Chem. & Engin. News 10 Sept. 38/3 Feedstock..suitable for the production of a completely biodegradable detergent. Ibid. 24 Dec. 36/1 Biodegradability has so far been tested mainly in flask tests. 1969Nature 19 July 230/2 Biodegradable detergents are now a reality.
1961W. M. Bejuki in Devel. Industrial Microbiology II. 265 The bacteria..are microorganisms being newly introduced into biodeterioration evaluations. 1964Nature 5 Sept. 1084/1 These thermophilic fungi may play a significant part in the biodeterioration of oil palm produce during processing and storage. 1966D. G. Coursey in Microbiological Deterioration in Tropics (Soc. Chem. Industry Monograph xxiii) 44 (title) Biodeteriorative processes in palm oil stored in West Africa. Ibid. 55 Purely chemical changes..are slow compared with the biodeteriorative process.
1874Lewes Prob. Life & Mind I. 129 The biostatical and the biodynamical—i.e. the consideration of the structure ready to act; and the consideration of the structure acting.
1923F. E. Clements et al. in Carnegie Inst. Washington Year Book 1922 355 The concept of the biome was advanced in 1915 to emphasize the importance of treating plants and animals together as mutually interacting members of a community... The entire field of bio-ecology has been sketched in outline to serve as a guide for further work. 1927W. P. Taylor in Ecology VIII. 280 If the botanists persist in appropriating the term ecology as synonymous with plant ecology we shall be forced to domesticate the new term bio⁓ecology to take its place as referring to the whole field. 1939F. E. Clements & Shelford (title) Bio-Ecology. 1957Encycl. Brit. XVIII. 29B/1 Other aspects of general ecology are animal ecology, human ecology and bio⁓ecology, which is defined provisionally as the ecology of plant and animal interrelations.
1918Science 22 Nov. 518/2 Bioelectric phenomena constitute a group of facts for which adequate and satisfactory explanations have hitherto been lacking. 1927Lund & Kenyon in Jrnl. Exper. Zoöl. XLVIII. 333 (title) Relation between continuous bio-electric currents and cell respiration. 1943Electronic Engin. XV. 519 The above facts suggest that the alpha rhythm..may possibly be due to the same cause as that producing slow bio-electric rhythms in other organs. 1962IRE Trans. Bio-Medical Electronics IX. 85/1 Bioelectrical brain reactions arising in response to certain stimuli are often very poorly expressed.
1949Blakiston's New Gould Med. Dict. 136/1 Bio-electricity, electric phenomena occurring in living tissues; effects of electric currents upon living tissues. 1969Listener 15 May 688/1 A bioelectricity, which originates in the abdominal cavity.
1945S. Brody Bioenergetics & Growth ii. 12 Bioenergetics, concerned with energy transformations in living things, is a branch of general energetics generalized briefly by the first and second laws of thermodynamics. 1947Ann. Reg. 1946 388 The Timiriazeff Institute [U.S.S.R.], which is divided into sections dealing with photosynthesis,..comparative physiology, bioenergetics. 1960Appl. Microbiol. VIII. 122/1 The real problem may exist near the cell surfaces where flow..may depend upon capillary action. Herein may lie one of the real challenges for the bioengineer. Ibid. 124/1 This bioengineering approach has been most fruitfully applied to microbiological processes. 1964New Scientist 30 July 262/1 Bio-engineering to help in converting new crops into human food.
1952Chem. Abstr. 10215/1 (title) Effect of bioflavonoids on radiosensitivity of transplanted tumors. 1955Sci. News Let. 26 Feb. 141/1 Nature's yellow dyestuff and related chemicals..promise to help fight certain artery troubles and other ailments of man. The chemicals are now called bioflavonoids.
1938tr. Vernadsky's On some Fundamental Probl. Biogeochem. 5 Life in the biogeochemical aspect is the living matter of the biosphere, that is, the total of all the living organisms present in the biosphere at a given moment. 1956Nature 25 Feb. 353/1 To further the study of biogeochemical cycles.
1938tr. Vernadsky's On some Fundamental Probl. Biogeochem. 5 Biogeochemistry, which is a part of geochemistry and has peculiar methods and peculiar problems of its own, may be finally reduced to a precise quantitative mathematical expression of the living nature in its indissoluble connection with the external medium, in which the living nature exists. 1940Chem. Abstr. 3769 (title), Problems of bio⁓geochemistry.
1883C. A. Cutter (Boston) Classif. Nat. Sci. 4 In Biognosy the specials [Phytognosy, Zoognosy] contain subdivisions brought together in a group for convenience of treatment.
1928E. R. Cumings & R. R. Shrock in Bull. Amer. Geol. Soc. XXXIX. 599 Coral reef encourages the misconception that reefs are largely made of coral, whereas many of them were formed by other organisms... The authors have for some time used the term ‘bioherm’. 1939W. H. Twenhofel Princ. Sedimentation ix. 329 Colonial corals have been among the chief contributions to the building of the reefs or bioherms. 1954W. D. Thornbury Princ. Geomorphology xviii. 480 The term ‘bioherm’ (organic mould) is a more appropriate name for such structures, but they have been called reefs so long that the name persists despite its inadequacy.
18..Long in Education III. 587 Biokinetics will consider them [organisms] in the successive changes through which they pass during the different stages of their development.
1906H. Potonié in Rep. Brit. Assoc. Advancem. Sci. 748, I set aside those combustible biolithes which are pyromonimites, such as amber. 1920A. W. Grabau Textbk. Geol. (1921) i. xii. 269 The organic or biogenic rocks... The true organic rocks are conveniently termed bioliths.
1934B. G. Bogorov in Jrnl. Marine Biol. Assoc. XIX. 585 Weighing is the main method of obtaining the biomass. The conception ‘biomass’ may be applicable also to the quantity of substance, characteristic for a given species at its different stages of development. 1937W. Pickles in Jrnl. Animal Ecol. VI. 54 In order to determine the biomass of each species, it was necessary to weigh the ants, larvae, pupae, etc., of each nest. Ibid. 60 The success of species..can also be expressed as the biomass, i.e. the total weight per unit area. 1957Encycl. Brit. VII. 919/2 The biomass could be determined for each link of a food chain, or for each stratum of a community or for the whole community. Ibid. XVIII. 237/1 This method uses weights of population samples (biomass) instead of counts of individuals.
1923W. M. Feldman Biomath. i. 1 Biomathematics is the science and art of rapid and accurate computation applied to the study and investigation of biological problems. 1963New Scientist 10 Jan. 72/2 There are now strong indications that biomathematics and medicomathematics are emerging as distinctive scientific disciplines.
1955Bull. Atomic Sci. May 200/2 The only biomedical data which remains classified is in piecemeal or incomplete form and therefore inadequate for use by the medical profession. 1962S. Carpenter in Into Orbit 160 Next, you run a check on the intercom and the bio-medical leads to make sure they are working. 1963C. D. Green in J. H. U. Brown Physiol. of Man in Space 257 (title) Biomedical capsules.
1865Reader 25 Feb. 213/1 A life table..is an instrument of investigation; it may be called a biometer, for it gives the exact measure of the duration of life under given circumstances.
1946Nature 28 Sept. 440/2 A later technique is beautifully illustrated by the exhibit from the Department of Biomolecular Structure of the University of Leeds.
1901J. G. McKendrick in Rep. Brit. Assoc. Advancem. Sci. 810 The conception of a biomolecule, or living molecule, that is to say the smallest quantity of living matter that can exhibit some of the chemical phenomena of life.
1882Pop. Sci. Monthly XXII. 169 The eminent biophysiologist, William B. Carpenter.
1958Newsweek 17 Feb. 95/1 The NACA sphere could be ready within a year as a bio⁓satellite to test space stresses on small laboratory animals. 1966Daily Tel. 19 Dec. 1/4 They were millions of insects and bacteria in a ‘biosatellite’ that went astray.
1964(title of periodical) BioScience. 1966I. Asimov Fantastic Voyage i. 12 Tell him I want some crumbs for the bio-sciences.
1959Listener 14 May 834/2 Most physical scientists can be rather precise in their measurements and in the predictions based on them. Not so the bio-scientists.
[1894J. Izoulet La Cité Moderne i. i. 1 (title) Livre Premier. Exposé de notre hypothèse bio-sociale.] 1927L. L. Bernard Introd. Social Psychol. i. v. 79 The physico-social and bio-social environments are intimately connected with human behavior. 1935L. Bloomfield in Language XI. 98 The bio⁓physical description, in terms of speakers' movements, or of sound-waves,..must be left to the laboratory. The biosocial description consists in a statement of the combinations in which these phonemes occur. 1937C. W. Morris Log. Positivism ii. 22 Pragmatism..is not falsely described as a biosocial positivism. 1942C. F. Hockett in Language XVIII. 6 Phonological equivalence involves, generally, the two factors of α-phonetic similarity and biosocial equivalence.
1936E. van Loo tr. Bouger's Introd. Criminol. iv. 77 ‘Every crime is the resultant of individual, physical and social conditions.’.. This view was shared by several later authors... Its adherents form what is called the ‘biosociological school’. 1949Koestler Insight & Outlook xvi. 221 The biosociological significance of these upheavals is rarely appreciated.
[1894J. Izoulet La Cité Moderne iv. i. 544 Je crois que la psycho-morale et la bio-sociologie ne peuvent coexister parallèlement, sans agir et réagir l'une sur l'autre.] 1901G. Gissing Our Friend Charlatan ii. 22 ‘It's uncommonly suggestive,’ said Dyce... ‘The best social theory I know. He [sc. J. Izoulet] calls his system Bio-Sociology, a theory of society founded on the facts of biology.’
1953Hazelton & Glennie in C. H. D. Cullingford Brit. Caving ix. 248 British biospeleological literature is necessarily scanty.
1947New Biol. III. 103 Small bands of enthusiastic workers, like those who laid the foundations of biospelæology, can hardly be expected to produce rapid results. 1965B. E. Freeman tr. A. Vandel (title) Biospeleology: the biology of cavernicolous animals.
1874Lewes Prob. Life & Mind I. 115 These may be classed (by a serviceable extension of the term Statics) under the heads of Biostatics and Psychostatics. 1885Athenæum 28 Feb. 285/1. The inquiry was limited to the biostatics and anthropometry of the Ashkenasim Jews.
1932E. R. Cumings in Bull. Geol. Soc. Amer. XLIII. 334 For purely bedded structures, such as shell beds, crinoid beds, coral beds, etcetera, consisting of and built..by sedentary organisms..I propose the name biostrome... Biostrome means literally an organic layer. 1961J. Challinor Dict. Geol. 23/1 Where the biolith is a more or less extensive bed it is sometimes called a ‘biostrome’.
1930Brit. Chem. Abstr. A. 479/2 The closely related structure of natural anthocyanins, [etc.].. is discussed on the basis of biosynthesis from the simple components formaldehyde and its condensation products. 1949E. Chain in H. W. Florey Antibiotics II. xvii. 695 The strain 1984. A is more exacting in its requirements for the biosynthesis of penicillin. 1959Sci. News LII. 17 The presence of iron is essential to the biosynthesis of chlorophyll.
1948Biol. Abstr. 304 The dominant opinion was that biosynthetic processes were to be considered as cascades.
1974Bioscience May 310/1 Project Biotech..was designed to provide training opportunities for the so-called middle manpower needs in the life sciences. 1980N.Y. Times 29 June iii. 5/1 In addition to Bethesda Research Laboratories, there is Biotech Research, in Rockville, Md. 1982Sunday Times 4 Apr. 51/2 CLS [is] the first UK ‘biotech’ business to go public. 1986Courier-Mail (Brisbane) 26 June 40/1 Three short years ago there was considerable concern in Japan over the lead held in biotech by the US.
1938L. Mumford Culture of Cities 495 Biotechnic, refers to an emergent economy..pointing to a civilization in which the biological sciences will be freely applied to technology... The application of bacteriology to medicine and sanitation, [etc.]..are further marks of this order.
1925Geddes & Thomson Biol. 245 (heading) The Applications of Biology (Biotechnics).
1902J. J. Buckman in Geol. Mag. IX. 556 Why cannot we call this a biozone, using the term to signify the range of organisms in time as indicated by their entombment in the strata? Thus we might have the biozone of a species, of a genus, of a family, or of a larger group.
Add: ˌbioavailaˈbility Med., the proportion of a drug which reaches its site of pharmacological activity when introduced into the body; more loosely, that proportion of any substance so introduced which enters the circulation.
1971Compton Yearbk. 224/2 The FDA began to insist that any claims of *bioavailability equivalency made by the makers of generic drugs be true. 1979Daily Tel. 5 Dec. 18 To avoid any problems associated with differing bio-availabilities, it does make sense, for some drugs, to prescribe by brand name to ensure the patient always receives the same quality of preparation. 1983Oxf. Textbk. Med. I. vii. 5/2 By definition, the bioavailability of a drug after intravenous administration is 100 per cent. 1985Brit. Med. Jrnl. 9 Nov. 1332/2 The bioavailability of iron in domestic water supplies is not known.
ˈbiohazard, a risk to mankind or the environment, esp. one arising out of biological or medical work, e.g. with micro-organisms; something that presents or constitutes such a risk.
1965New Scientist 30 Sept. 858/2 The control of *biohazards is a new kind of problem in cancer research. Only recently it has become apparent that viruses, which had been thought to be species-specific, can cross from one species to another and thus spread disease. 1975Nature 5 June 442/1 This meeting was organised to review scientific progress in research on recombinant DNA molecules and to discuss appropriate ways to deal with the potential biohazards of this work. 1986Water, Air & Soil Pollution XXVIII. 385 Exposure to H2S at the levels reported here may be less of a biohazard than previously supposed.
hence bioˈhazardous a., of, pertaining to, or constituting a biohazard.
1975Sci. Amer. July 32/2 The National Academy of Sciences had been urged to consider the ‘possibility that potentially *biohazardous consequences might result from widespread or injudicious use’ of these techniques. 1979F. J. Dyson Disturbing the Universe xvi. 181 An ordinance was passed..subjecting biohazardous research to municipal supervision. 1984Cancer Res. XLIV. 478/1 Radioimmunoassays are both expensive and potentially biohazardous.
biomass, (b) (potential) fuel material derived immediately from living matter; living matter regarded as a source of fuel.
1975Chem. & Engin. News 2 June 19/2 Klass has computed the data for several proposed schemes for converting biomass into fuels. 1976Mech. Engin. July 16/1 All these potential fuel sources, the organic matter produced through photosynthesis, are collectively called ‘biomass’. 1986Forestry LIX. 238 The potential of eucalypts for producing biomass and fuelwood has not been fully explored.
Add: ˈbio-diesel, a bio-fuel (see below) intended as a substitute for diesel; spec. rape methyl ester.
[1982Chem. Engin. 8 Feb. 104 Butanol-rich fuel... A newly discovered strain of bacteria produces a butanol-containing fuel that needs no distillation, from municipal, agricultural or food wastes... The developer, Bio-Diesel Fuels Ltd. (Toronto, Ont.), plans to build a demonstration plant by 1984.] 1986Ibid. 27 Oct. 12c/2 Bio Energy Philippines Inc..claims that it has developed a diesel oil from copra that is better than regular diesel... Called *Biodiesel, it is said to also be better than Cocodiesel, a mixture of ordinary diesel fuel and coconut oil. 1991Daily Tel. 17 June 5/8 In France the rape fuel is being used in trials to run a fleet of buses. Bio-diesel pumps are sited at a chain of filling stations in Austria. 1991South Aug. 58/2 Bio-diesel is made by mixing rape seed oil (ESO) with Methyl Alcohol to produce Methyl RSO. Glycerol is then added to produce Rape Methyl Ester (RME)—Known as MRE in Germany and diester in France.
biodiˈversity Ecol., diversity of plant and animal life, as represented by the number of extant species.
1987Nature 30 Apr. 871/1 Here *biodiversity increases with the introduction of understory vegetation. 1988E. O. Wilson Biodiversity p. vi, The forum was conceived by Walter G. Rosen... Furthermore, he introduced the term biodiversity [at a forum held on 21–5 September 1986 in Washington, D.C.]. 1988Conservation Biol. II. 307 It's becoming a byword in both house and home, and a cause célèbre among rain forest researchers, but biodiversity has yet to receive the support it deserves from marine ecologists. 1989Times 31 Mar. 5/4 The bio-diversity campaign is an attempt to bring the seriousness of the global situation to the attention of people in all walks of life. 1991Nature Conservancy May–June 21/2 The idea of sustainable development—which acknowledges that human economies, human cultures and biodiversity are inextricably linked.
ˈbio-fuel, fuel derived immediately from living matter; = biomass (b) s.v. *bio-.
1970Physics Bull. Sept. 402/1 The *biofuel cell uses the body's metabolism in the oxidation–reduction process. 1974Energy Primer 106/2 Because wood is such an exploitable biofuel, we felt that reasonable space ought to be devoted to a discussion of its efficient use. 1985Fortune, 13 May 82/2 The use of biofuels in place of expensive oil naturally means big savings in energy costs. 1992Farmers Weekly 14 Aug. 40/1 Within five years 600,000t of the new rape-based bio-fuel rape methyl ester (RME) will be produced on the Continent.
▸ biocircuit n. Computing a logical circuit formed from biological molecules or structures; a biochip.
1982Computerworld 11 Jan. (In Depth Section) 7/1 We have yet to learn how to assemble many such *bio-circuits and properly interconnect them to form computers. 1986Financial Rev. (Sydney) 27 June 47/6 A science fantasy of using cells to act as little bio-chip factories..that has attracted vast funds to bio-circuit research overseas. 1994Independent on Sunday 20 Mar. (Business section) 5/1 The surface has tiny grooves, thinner than a human hair, etched on it, which direct the growth of the cells. The researchers have used this to create a primitive biocircuit that can transmit electrical signals. 2002New Scientist 9 Feb. 18 Plant viruses can now be turned into the building blocks of microprocessors. The inventors say the tiny biocircuits could even be used inside the body. 2004R. Weiss et al. in M. Amos Cellular Computing iv. 55 In contrast to electrical circuit design where identical components are separated spatially, each component in a biocircuit shares the same physical space but relies on different biochemical reactions.
▸ bioconversion n. the conversion by living organisms of one chemical compound, or one form of energy, into another; an instance of this.
1952Jrnl. Amer. Chem. Soc. 74 5935/2 Progesterone *bioconversion by Rhizopus arrhizus. 1969New Scientist 25 Sept. (Suppl.) 11/2 The most interesting new prospect for the commercial application of microbial bioconversions. 1984A. C. Duxbury & A. Duxbury Introd. World's Oceans xv. 500 The use of a plant crop to harness the sun's energy for conversion to a fuel or energy is called bioconversion. 2005S. Barrett Environment & Statecraft xv. 393 Photosynthesis fixes CO2, and stores it in the biomass and the soil... Genetic enginereering could potentially augment the natural bioconversion process, and make CO2 biomass storage more durable.
▸ biodegrade v. (a) trans. (of a biological agent or mechanism) to break down and decompose (a substance or object, esp. a potential pollutant); (b) intr. (of a substance or object) to undergo such decomposition, esp. readily.
1965Dept. Agric. Appropriations 1966 (U.S. Congress) 80 Research is underway for development of detergents that are more easily *biodegraded. 1970Newark (Ohio) Advocate & Amer. Tribune 2 June 5/9 In a properly-functioning septic tank and tile drain field system, detergents will biodegrade along with the other household wastes. 2000Here's Health May 60/2 As the plastic strips don't biodegrade, much of the waste ends up polluting beaches and seas, killing millions of marine mammals each year.
▸ bioelectronic adj. relating to or involving bioelectronics.
1939Electronics Oct. 11 (title) A new *bio-electronic application: electroencephalography. 1981E. R. Harrison Cosmology i. 2/2 We can place our bodies and bioelectronic brains in the physical universe, but we cannot insert our minds into the universe that is conceived by our minds. 1992N. Stephenson Snow Crash xxxi. 221 What is this totally irritating noise? Bioelectronic sensor. 2004G. Garrard Ecocriticism vii. 144 As he tracks down and kills six of the advanced bio-electronic Nexus-6 type androids, his sense of human superiority is challenged.
▸ bioelectronics n. the branch of science concerned with the use of biological materials and processes in electronic devices, and the use of electronic devices in living systems.
1939Electronics Nov. 93 Investigation in the field of *bio-electronics has led to the development of the instrument described herein, whose stability is of a high order. 1960Science 3 June 1690/1 (advt.) Basic research scientists. Ph.D. in microbiology, bioelectronics, biophysics or other sciences. 1995Sci. Amer. Mar. 70/2, I anticipate that the major near-term impact of bioelectronics on computer hardware will be in the area of volumetric memory. 2004L. A. Karoly & C. W. A. Panis 21st Cent. at Work iii. 97 Bioelectronics is another area in which the forecast is for revolutionary consequences, with proteins as building blocks for electronic circuitry.
▸ bioindicator n. a biological indicator of an ecological or physiological process; spec. (the health or abundance of) an organism used as an indicator of the state of an ecosystem, esp. with respect to pollution.
1963Z. M. Fineman et al. in A. W. Klement & V. Schultz Radioecology vii. 456 (caption) Jack rabbit bone as a *bio-indicator of strontium-90 contamination in the National Reactor Testing Station and environs. 1984Coal Week (Nexis) 23 Apr. 3 Healthy ponderosa pine is a sign of a relatively clean environment since they are a sensitive bioindicator of airborne pollution. 2002Nat. Home July–Aug. 37/2 Frogs are considered important bio-indicators—they spend time in both water and on land [sic], their permeable skin allows substances to move freely into their bodies, and their fatty tissues can absorb and concentrate toxins.
▸ bioinvader n. = biological invader n. at biological adj. and n. Additions (in either sense).
1959J. Brachet & A. E Mirsky Cell 310 Serve as its protector against change in physical state, temperature, light, acidity, against *bioinvaders, etc. 1995Washington Post 9 July a9 (heading) Bio-Invaders pose ecological risk; environmental group cites rapid global spread of ‘exotic’ viruses, pests. 2000J. Gates Democracy at Risk Introd. p. xxiv, A virulent bioinvader, kudzu has taken over millions of acres in the American South, overwhelming the native habitat as it smothers flowering plants and shrubs, driving them to extinction.
▸ bioinvasion n. displacement of one organism or life form by another; esp.= biological invasion n. at biological adj. and n. Additions (in either sense).
1976B. Dawes Adv. in Parasitol. 62 A host of a certain larval stage is facultatively substituted by another one (*bioinvasion), and the helminth larvae are relocated. 1992Copeia 19921137/2 Aquatic bioinvasions have increased dramatically over the last decade due largely to transport by ships' ballast water. 2002W. M. Jastremski in L. Susskind et al. Transboundary Environmental Negotiation xv. 361 The great majority of aquatic bioinvasions are thought to occur because of ballast water exchange.
▸ biomaterial n. (a) an organic substance of biological origin; (b) a substance (typically synthetic) used for prostheses and implanted medical devices.
1960Analyt. Chem. 32 198r (table) *Biomaterials. 1980Chem. Rev. 80 296/2 Vesicles..are colloidal systems which most nearly resemble biomembranes. They are usually made of biomaterials such as lecithins. 1993R. J. Pond Introd. Engin. Technol. (ed. 2) x. 294 We have already witnessed the benefits of advanced materials in our automobiles and in our own bodies (e.g., biomaterials—tissues and organs made of ceramics, composites, glass, and plastics). 1999Daily Tel. 18 Feb. (Connected section) 10/4 There's a market for stationary steam engines to generate power by burning waste and biomaterials. 2004Nature 1 Apr. 487/1 Biomaterials have been defined as substances other than foods or drugs contained in therapeutic or diagnostic systems and, in some cases, have been described as materials composed of biologically derived components (for example, amino acids) irrespective of their application. 2005Colloids & Surfaces (B.) 49 136/1 Titanium is frequently used as biomaterial in dental, orthopaedic and cardiovascular fields for manufacturing bone-anchoring devices.
▸ biomimicry n. = biomimetics n.
1982Inorganica Chimica Acta 62 1/1 The successful synthesis of homo- and heteronuclear metal complexes which have found application in the area of *biomimicry. 1999Daily Tel. 22 Apr. (Connected section) 3/2 Admired by marine engineers, fish locomotion has long been seen as an area rich in possibilities by the emerging science of biomimicry. 2006U.S. News & World Rep. 2 Oct. 66/3 Using the human tricuspid heart valve as a bit of inspirational biomimicry, the IDEO team designed a simple self-sealing valve that opens only when squeezed.
▸ bioremediation n. the use of living organisms, esp. microorganisms, to degrade pollutants and other undesirable substances or remove them from the environment.
1986Chem. Week 29 Oct. 34/3 Sikes's company is one of several that offer *bioremediation services based on the encouragement of organisms already on site. 1989N.Y. Times 23 May c1 A major obstacle to the development of bioremediation..has been a thicket of Government regulations limiting the release of genetically engineered organisms into the environment. 2003Nature 3 Apr. 465/2 A gentler option is bioremediation, which involves using fertilizer to speed the growth of naturally occurring oil-digesting bacteria.
▸ biosecurity n. (a) procedures or measures designed to protect plants and animals against disease or human exploitation; (b) protection of the human population against potentially harmful biological agents.
1985Avian Dis. 29 740 *Biosecurity precautions directed toward separating domestic poultry from wild birds are encouraged. 1994Yearbk. Internat. Law 5 352 The Commission had also been requested to enact a Decision on a common regime on access to genetic resources and on biosecurity in the Andean Pact subregion. 1999Federal News Service (Nexis) 27 Oct. Three subgroups..provide internal support on biosecurity, cybersecurity, and continuity of government matters. 2004Foreign Policy July–Aug. 87/3 Biological knowledge is needed to develop weapons, but it is also vital to developing the drugs, vaccines, and other countermeasures essential to biosecurity.
▸ biosensor n. a biologically active substance (as an enzyme or antibody) or a living organism which is used as the basis of a device for detecting the presence of a particular chemical; a device of this kind.
1961J. Healer & A. T. Kornfield Bibliography on Biosensors (title) Bibliography on *biosensors. 1983Biotechnol. & Bioengineering 25 1641 A biosensor consisting of immobilized nitrite oxidizing bacteria has been developed for the amperometric determination of NO2. 1992New Scientist 4 Apr. 21/1 Researchers have genetically engineered plants which produce a sky-blue glow when under stress... Eventually it may be possible to position these ‘reporter plants’ among normal crops to act as living biosensors. 2004Games TM Apr. 13/1 Each player wears an electrode-stuffed headband that registers electrical activity in the brain. A biosensor reads this information and uses it to move the ball.
▸ bioterrorism n. the use of infectious agents or biologically active substances as weapons of terrorism.
1987J. McDermott Killing Winds xvi. 252 Since the intimidating powers of biological weapons are so uncomfortably clear, *bioterrorism is a sensitive subject that few want to discuss or face. 1991Atlantic May 48/1 To engage in bioterrorism requires only..a sophisticated understanding of the properties of various edible plants, medicinal herbs, toxins and venoms, and infectious and pharmaceutical agents. 2005Daily Tel. 28 Feb. 11/4 Botulinum toxin is particularly attractive as a bio-terrorism weapon because it is 10 million times more poisonous than cyanide.
▸ bioterrorist n. and adj. (a) n. a person or organization that carries out a terrorist threat or action using an infectious agent or biologically active substance; (b) adj. (attrib.) of, relating to, or engaging in bioterrorism.
1987J. McDermott Killing Winds xvi. 255 If the *bioterrorist uses a human disease, the FBI would investigate and enlist the help of the Centers for Disease Control. 1996New Scientist 11 May 32/1 Many experts say that it is no longer a question of whether a major bioterrorist attack will occur, but when. 1999N.Y. Times 21 Oct. a24/3 The United States reserves the right to launch a nuclear strike against a bioterrorist nation. 2006Economist (Nexis) 2 Sept. At the moment a bioterrorist would be better advised to use an existing ‘weaponised’ pathogen (there are plenty) than to make a new one from scratch.
▸ biotherapy n. treatment of disease using biological substances (blood products, glandular extracts, antisera, monoclonal antibodies, etc.) or (in later use) living organisms.
1914W. S. Bainbridge Cancer Probl. 344 In regard to bacteriology and biotherapy in general we are at the present time witnessing but a repetition of what has gone on throughout all the ages in the search for a remedy for cancer. 1949Science 4 June 600/1 Validation of the results..in producing the cancerolytic toxin..from the lysed cells of T. cruzi was recently claimed... This mode of ‘biotherapy’ is still looked upon by some as one of the promising leads in the treatment of cancer. 1988Lancet 16 Apr. 858/1 The book is pervaded with an optimism for [cancer] biotherapy which can scarcely be supported by a critical assessment of clinical results so far. 2005N.Y. Times Mag. 11 Dec. 80/1 Along with leeches, maggots are part of the emerging field of biotherapy—the therapeutic use of living creatures.
▸ biowar n. (as a mass noun) = biological warfare n. at biological adj. and n. Special uses; (as a count noun) a conflict involving the use of biological or biochemical weapons.
1956W. A. Heflin U. S. Air Force Dict. *biowar, ‘Biological Warfare’. 1982Christian Sci. Monitor (Eastern ed.) 11 Feb. 2/5 (heading) Pakistan expels American after Soviet biowar claim. 1993A. Toffler & H. Toffler War & Anti-war iii. xiv. 122 It is now known that work on offensive bio-war weapons continued in the Soviet Union long after it signed a 1972 treaty outlawing such arms. 2001Birmingham Post (Electronic ed.) 13 Oct. The only example we have of an anthrax epidemic was at Sverdlovsk, Russia in 1979 when spores escaped from a military factory. It is generally remembered as a terrifying example of what could happen during a biowar.
▸ biowarfare n. = biological warfare n. at biological adj. and n. Special uses.
1966New Scientist 22 Dec. 695/1 (heading) *Biowarfare. 1971It 2–16 June 3/2 The Army Germ Warfare Testing Centre at Desert, Utah, announced it was..changing its title to ‘Defensive Bio-Warfare Research’. 1997N. DeMille Plum Island xii. 137 A good day for the bio-warfare gentlemen is a day when their scientists can genetically engineer the FMD virus to infect humans. 2001Toronto Star 13 Jan. a17/2 The fearsome virus..is closely related to smallpox, raising fears the technology could be used in biowarfare.
▸ bioweapon n. = biological weapon n. at biological adj. and n. Additions.
1962H. B. Piper in Analog Sci. Fiction/Sci. Fact Nov. 47 *Bio-weapons; a man-made plague that had gotten out of control and all but depopulated the planet. 1995L. Garrett Coming Plague xvii. 603 By 1993 some 125 nations had signed the Bioweapons Convention.., yet the agreement had no teeth. 2001Chicago Tribune 12 Sept. i. 3/1 U.S. intelligence has focused on countering the kind of attacks that had happened: truck bombs, explosives hidden in airplane luggage, and bio-weapons released in crowds. |