Glossary of Terms - July 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.

a priori: (Latin) 1a. deductive (of, relating to, or provable by deduction) 1b. relating to or derived by reasoning from self-evident propositions - compare a posteriori 1c. presupposed by experience 2a. being without examination or analysis, presumptive 2b. formed or conceived beforehand [http://www.m-w.com]

a posteriori: (Latin) 1. inductive (leading on) 2. relating to or derived by reasoning from observed facts - compare a priori [http://www.m-w.com]

endotoxin: a toxin of internal origin; specifically, …