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A major plant hormone that plays an important role in plant growth and development. Abscisic acid (ABA), with a chemical formula of C15H20O4 (Fig. 1), is one of the most significant hormones found in plants. It is responsible for regulating various…

Habituation to a specific practice, such as drinking alcoholic beverages or using drugs (for example, heroin, cocaine, or amphetamines), and disorders characterized by the chronic use of a drug, alcohol, or similar substance. Addiction and addictive…

A variety of chalcedonic quartz that is distinguished by the presence of color banding in curved or irregular patterns (Fig. 1). Most agate used for ornamental purposes is composed of two or more tones or intensities of brownish-red, often…

Any disorder of recognition. Agnosia is a rare neurological condition in which an individual fails to recognize and identify persons or objects (see illustration). Typically, agnosia is the result of damage to specific areas of the brain.…

A sodium-rich plagioclase feldspar mineral whose composition extends over the range Ab100An0 to Ab90An10, where Ab (= albite) is NaAlSi3O8 and An (= anorthite) is CaAl2Si2O8 (see illustration). Albite occurs in crustal igneous rocks as a major…

A disease of the nervous system characterized by a progressive dementia that leads to profound impairment in cognition and behavior. Dementia occurs in a number of brain diseases where the impairment in cognitive abilities represents a decline from…

Most commonly, a generic name for all fossil resins, although it has been restricted by some to refer only to succinite, the mineralogical species of fossil resin that includes most of the Baltic Coast deposits. The time necessary to transform resin…

A lithium aluminum phosphate mineral of basic formula LiAl(PO4)(F). The structure of amblygonite consists of phosphate (PO4) groups of tetrahedra and AlO6 groups of octahedra. Each PO4 tetrahedron is connected to an AlO6 octahedron. Corner-sharing…

The transparent purple to violet variety of the mineral quartz. Although quartz is perhaps the commonest gem mineral known, amethyst (see illustration) is rare in the deep colors that characterize fine quality. Amethyst is usually colored unevenly…

A significant, yet relatively selective loss of memory. Amnesia is a type of memory loss, often resulting from brain disease or injury (see illustration). The inability to remember can be temporary or permanent. In general, amnesia can be…

A nesosilicate mineral, composition Al2SiO5, crystallizing in the orthorhombic system. Andalusite (Fig. 1) occurs commonly in large, nearly square prismatic crystals. The variety chiastolite has inclusions of dark-colored carbonaceous material…

A plagioclase feldspar with composition Ab70An30 to Ab50An50 (Ab = NaAlSi3O8; An = CaAl2Si2O8). Andesine (see illustration) occurs primarily in igneous rocks, often in a glassy matrix as small, chemically zoned, lathlike crystals known as…

Loss of sensation with or without loss of consciousness. Anesthesia is used to prevent pain during surgery and other medical procedures. There are several ways of producing anesthesia, with the choice dependent on the type of surgery and the medical…

A mineral with the chemical composition PbSO4. Anglesite occurs in white or gray, orthorhombic, tabular or prismatic crystals or compact masses (see illustration). It is a common secondary mineral, usually formed by the oxidation of galena. Fracture…

A mineral with the chemical composition CaSO4. Anhydrite (anhydrous calcium sulfate) occurs commonly in white and grayish granular masses, rarely in large, orthorhombic crystals (see illustration). Fracture is uneven and luster is pearly to…

The calcium-rich plagioclase feldspar with composition Ab0An100 to Ab10An90 (Ab = NaAlSi3O8; An = CaAl2Si2O8). Anorthite (see illustration) occurs in olivine-rich igneous rocks and rare volcanic ejecta (for example, at Mount Vesuvius, Italy, and…

A disorder of language acquired as a result of brain disease. Aphasia is impairment in the use of spoken or written language caused by brain disorders (see illustration) that cannot be explained by paralysis or incoordination of the articulatory…

An impairment in the performance of voluntary actions despite intact motor power and coordination, sensation and perception, and comprehension. Apraxia is a neurological condition in which there is difficulty with skilled tasks or learned movements…

One of three naturally occurring mineral forms of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). The other forms (or polymorphs) are the abundant mineral calcite and the relatively rare mineral vaterite. Still other forms of calcium carbonate are known, but only as…

Arenite (rock composed of sand-size fragments) that contains a high proportion of feldspar in addition to quartz and other detrital minerals. Arkose is also known as feldspathic sandstone. Although there is no universal agreement, many geologists…

Any treatment or procedure that includes the in-vitro handling of oocytes (immature ova or egg cells) and sperm or embryos for the purpose of establishing a pregnancy. Assisted reproductive technology (ART) is undertaken as a treatment of…

A group of monoclinic calcic pyroxenes which have the general chemical formula (Ca,Mg,Fe)(Mg,Fe)-Si2O6, in which calcium is the dominant cation in the first cation position. Monoclinic pyroxene with substantial iron or magnesium in place of calcium…

A neurodevelopmental condition that impairs the way that a person relates to and communicates with other people. Persons with autism have difficulties with social communication and interaction. They also can have unusual behaviors, such as…

A basic carbonate of copper with the chemical formula Cu3(OH)2(CO3)2. Azurite is normally associated with copper ores and often occurs with malachite. Azurite is monoclinic. It may be massive or may occur in tabular, prismatic, or equant crystals…

A mineral with chemical composition BaSO4. It is isostructural with celestite, SrSO4, and anglesite, PbSO4. Barite is orthorhombic, space group Pnma, a = 0.887 nanometer, b = 0.545 nm, c = 0.714 nm. The illustration shows typical crystals. Barite…

Bats are members of the order Chiroptera, which is the second-largest order of living mammals. The geographic distribution of these flying mammals is tremendous as well, ranging from the limit of trees in the Northern Hemisphere to the southern tips…

The primary ore used to produce aluminum metal and alumina (Al2O3). Bauxite (see illustration) is a naturally occurring weathering product composed of one or more aluminum hydroxide minerals, such as gibbsite [Al(OH)3], boehmite [AlO(OH)], and…

Any of several leguminous plants, or their seeds, long utilized as food by humans or livestock. There are more than 40,000 varieties of beans, with only a small number of these being mass-produced for human or animal consumption. In particular,…

The most common beryllium mineral. Beryl, Al2[Be3Si6O18], crystallizes in the hexagonal system with space group P6/mcc. The crystal structure consists of six-membered rings of corner-sharing silicon-oxygen (SiO4) tetrahedra cross-linked by…

Minerals containing beryllium as an essential component. Over 50 beryllium minerals (Fig. 1) have been identified, even though beryllium is a scarce element in the Earth's crust. The unusual combination of low charge (+2) and small ionic radius…

An iron-magnesium-rich layer silicate; it is also known as black mica. Biotite (see illustration) is the most abundant of the mica group of minerals. The name is derived from that of the French chemist J. Biot. The formula for the ideal end member,…

The branch of biological science that embraces the study of plants and plant life. Botany is the scientific study of plants (see illustration), encompassing investigations of plant anatomy, physiology, genetics, phylogeny, ecology, pathology, and…