GLOSSARY 239 



Organic A substance having the form, the chemistry, or 

 some characteristics of living matter; example, egg white. 

 See Inorganic. 



Parasite An organism living on or in a host to the detri- 

 ment of the latter. Adj., parasitic. 



Pathogenic Capable of producing disease. 



Pathology The study of disease the broad subject of 

 the cause, production, and result of disease, and especially 

 the changes it produces in the body. Related words: patho- 

 logic, -al. 



Phagocytosis The act of consuming foreign bodies, 

 notably bacteria, by the large white cells of the blood, called 

 phagocytes. Adj., phagocytic. 



Plane The geometrical dimension. There is one plane 

 in a line, two planes in a surface, and three planes in a body, 

 such as a cube. 



Plasma The fluid part of the blood including the con- 

 stituents capable of clotting. See Serum. 



Poisons Used generally to indicate any substance danger- 

 ous to body. Has no particular significance for bacterial 

 products when used alone. 



Proliferate To multiply, increase. 



Prophylaxis Guarding against beforehand. Measures 

 toward preventing disease. Adj., prophylactic. 



Protoplasm See Cytoplasm. 



Protozoa (sing., Protozoon) The lowest order of animals, 

 independent single-celled organisms. 



Pseudo False, resembling. 



Pseudopods The foot-like projections of the cell wall 

 and cytoplasm shown by amebse, a method of progression 

 for these protozoa. 



Putrefaction The decaying of proteid (the large part of 

 meat and fish) with the production of foul odors and poisonous 

 substances. (This is to be contrasted with fermentation, 

 which see.) 



Pyogenes Pus-producing. Adj., pyogenic. 



