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REACTIVE
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (adjective)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Participating readily in reactions
Example:
free radicals are very reactive
Classified under:
Similar:
activated; excited ((of e.g. a molecule) made reactive or more reactive)
labile ((chemistry, physics, biology) readily undergoing change or breakdown)
oxidizable (capable of undergoing a chemical reaction with oxygen)
thermolabile ((chemistry, physics, biology) readily changed or destroyed by heat)
unstable (highly or violently reactive)
Domain category:
chemical science; chemistry (the science of matter; the branch of the natural sciences dealing with the composition of substances and their properties and reactions)
natural philosophy; physics (the science of matter and energy and their interactions)
Antonym:
unreactive ((chemistry) not reacting chemically)
Derivation:
react (undergo a chemical reaction; react with another substance under certain conditions)
reactivity (ready susceptibility to chemical change)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Reacting to a stimulus
Example:
the skin of old persons is less reactive than that of younger persons
Synonyms:
reactive; responsive
Classified under:
Similar:
sensitive (responsive to physical stimuli)
Derivation:
react (show a response or a reaction to something)
reactivity (responsive to stimulation)
Context examples:
Stressors trigger the cell to make what are known as reactive oxygen species.
(Genes Can be Read in Different Ways, NIH, US)
A rare, reactive lesion in the lung parenchyma.
(Nodular Lymphoid Hyperplasia of Lung, NCI Thesaurus)
Inappropriate recruitment and activation of neutrophils and the release of reactive oxygen species can damage surrounding tissues in inflammatory conditions including arthritis and reperfusion of heart tissue following myocardial infarction.
(Neutrophil Surface Molecule Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)
Baculovirus-derived PSA protein is cross-reactive with native PSA, and has potential use in immunotherapy for prostate cancer.
(Baculovirus-Derived PSA Protein Vaccine, NCI Thesaurus)
Nifurtimox is reduced by cytosol enzymes or flavin-containing microsomal enzymes to a highly reactive nitro anion free radical; autooxidation of the nitro anion free radical generates cytotoxic superoxide anion (02-).
(Nifurtimox, NCI Thesaurus)
Although the precise mechanism by which altretamine exerts its cytotoxic effect is unknown, N-demethylation of altretamine may produce reactive intermediates which covalently bind to DNA, resulting in DNA damage.
(Altretamine, NCI Thesaurus)
Reactive oxygen species (ROS), produced within mitochondria, inhibit the function of EAAT2, the main glial glutamate transporter protein, responsible for most of the reuptake of synaptically released glutamate.
(Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/KEGG)
The new test is an immuno-assay and depends on a very specifically reactive monoclonal antibody—a lab-produced protein that detects and binds only with a specific target.
(New Test Identifies Poisonous Mushrooms, Agricultural Research Service)
They regulate the extracellular ionic and chemical environment, and "reactive astrocytes" (along with microglia) respond to injury.
(Murine Astrocytes, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)
It also helps prevent cell damage caused by free radicals (highly reactive chemicals).
(Alpha-tocopherol, NCI Dictionary)
