Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) spinal column, bony column forming the main structural support of the skeleton of humans and other vertebrates, also known as the vertebral column or backbone. It consists of segments known as vertebr...

(Encyclopedia) Andhra Pradesh änˈdrə präˈdāsh [key], state, 61,855 sq mi (160,205 sq km), SE India, on the Bay of Bengal. The state was created in 1956 from the Telugu-speaking por...

(Encyclopedia) yeast, name applied specifically to a certain group of microscopic fungi and to commercial products consisting of masses of dried yeast cells or of yeast mixed with a starchy material and pressed into...

(Encyclopedia) plain, large area of level or nearly level land. Elevated plains are called plateaus, or tablelands, and very low, wet plains are called swamps. Plains have different names in different climates and c...

(Encyclopedia) peptide, organic compound composed of amino acids linked together chemically by peptide bonds. The peptide bond always involves a single covalent link between the α-carboxyl (oxygen-bearing carbon) o...

(Encyclopedia) smog smŏg [key] [smoke+fog], dense, visible air pollution. Smog is commonly of two types. The gray smog of older industrial cities like London and New York derives from the massive combustion of coal...

(Encyclopedia) lipoprotein lĭpˌəprōˈtēn [key], any organic compound that is composed of both protein and the various fatty substances classed as lipids, including fatty acids and steroids such as cholesterol. ...

(Encyclopedia)  CE5 Bone bone, hard tissue that forms the skeleton of the body in vertebrate animals. In the very young, the skeleton is composed largely of cartilage and is therefore pliable, reducing the incide...

(Encyclopedia)  CE5 glutamine glo͞oˈtəmēn [key], organic compound, one of the 20 amino acids commonly found in animal proteins. Only the l-stereoisomer occurs in mammalian protein. Its structure is identical t...

(Encyclopedia) erythroblastosis fetalis ərĭthˌrəblăstōˈsĭs [key], hemolytic disease of a newborn infant caused by blood group incompatibility between mother and child. Although the Rh factor is responsible f...