Glossary of Terms - February 2003

The following terms are found throughout this issue of COLUMNS-Mold. The definitions are from the 1995 edition of Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary unless otherwise stated.

antibody: any of a large number of proteins produced normally after stimulation by an antigen and act specifically against the antigen in an immune response

antigen: a substance capable of stimulating an immune response

attenuate: to reduce the severity of (a disease) or virulence or vitality of (a pathogenic agent)