noun
definition
A discrete and complete living thing, such as animal, plant, fungus or microorganism.
definition
(by extension) Any complex thing with properties normally associated with living things.
Examples of organism in a Sentence
The organism is made up of molecules which are analogous to them.
The cell-walls of plants render the entry of solid material into the organism impossible.
Any organism may pass through a series of free-living larval stages.
Every organism takes origin from a parent organism of the same kind.
An organism was to him something controlled by a formative organizing principle.
The cell reproduced and the organism grew.
The nodules on the roots of leguminous plants are induced by the presence of a minute organism now known to do no injury to the plant.
He looked on the actions of the individual organism and of society as determined by the needs of self-preservation.
The organism is largely dependent for its vital processes upon gaseous interchanges.
In the former case the nature of the organism is such that it yields readily, when subjected to certain conditions, and all or nearly all the individuals become modified in the same way.
In extraneous pigmentation we have coloured substances either in a solid or fluid state, gaining entrance into the organism and accumulating in certain tissues.
Their cells during the period of incubation of the symbiotic organism are abundantly supplied with starch.
They also occur in the fluids of the living organism.
Haemosiderin in the normal process of haemolysis is stored up in the cells of certain organs until required by the organism for the formation of fresh haemoglobin.
Response Of Tissues To Stimulation A stimulus may be defined as every change of the external agencies acting upon an organism; and if a stimulus come in contact with a body possessing the property of irritability, i.e.
Each organism possesses within itself the means of protection against its parasitical enemies, and these properties are more in evidence when the organism is in perfect health than when it is debilitated.
One chief means employed by nature in accomplishing this object is the investment of those parts of the organism liable to be attacked with an armour-like covering of epidermis, periderm, bark, &c. The grape is proof against the inroads of the yeastplant so long as the husk is intact, but on the husk being injured the yeast-plant finds its way into the interior and sets up vinous fermentation of its sugar.
Its serum in course of time is found to contain something (antitoxin) which has the power of neutralizing the toxin secreted by the organism when parasitical upon the body.
The use of the term to mean the individualized nucleated mass of living protoplasm, which, whether with or without a limiting membrane, primitively forms the proximate histological element of the body of every organism, dates from the second quarter of the i9th century.
This method of study has to a large extent modified our ideas of the relative importance of the parts of such an organism as a large tree.
In some of the infective conditions the conflict fortifies the organism against future attacks of the same nature, as for example in the immunity following many of the acute infective diseases.
We have already compared the body to a social community, each constituent element of which - the cell - lives its own life but subordinates its individuality to the good of the whole organism.
They were unable to verify any direct connexion between its production and the organism of tubercle.
This fact gave rise in ancient times to the false idea that the tapeworm originated from the union of these segments; and in modern times it has led to the view that the tapeworm is not a segmented organism (the monozoic view), but is a colony composed of the scolex which arises from the embryo and of the proglottides, which are asexually produced buds that, upon or before attaining their full size and maturity, become separated, grow, and, in some cases, live freely for a time, just as the segments of a strobilating jelly-fish grow, separate and become sexual individuals (the polyzoic view).
The scyphistoma of Nausithoe forms a branching network which grows in the sponge Esperella and forms the colonial polypoid organism named by Schulze Spongicola fistularis, by Allman Stephanoscyphus mirabilis.
Inaddition, the appearance of a specific normal organism in very high numbers may also be regarded as an abnormal result.
When the culture results are available and sensitivity tests indicate a more effective antibiotic, the physician will likely prescribe a new antibiotic specific for the strep or other organism identified.
Fetus-In humans, the developing organism from the end of the eighth week to the moment of birth.
The most significant tests are a white blood cell count (WBC) and a blood culture to identify the organism.
Family therapy is based on family systems theory, in which the family is viewed as a living organism rather than just the sum of its individual members.
Aerobic-An organism that grows and thrives only in environments containing oxygen.
The most troublesome organism in this group is Escherichia coli.
In most cases of mild diarrhea, it is not critical to identify the organism because the disorder is self-limiting.
H. influenzae type B (Hib) is a common organism worldwide; it is found in most healthy individuals in the general population.
It can be caused by nearly any class of organism known to cause human infections, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.
Conjunctivitis can be acute or chronic depending on how long the condition lasts, the severity of symptoms, and the type of organism or agent involved.
In such cases, the discharge may be cultured and tested to determine the organism responsible for causing the condition.
The gonococcal organism may occasionally affect the eye, causing blindness if not treated.
Microorganism-An organism that is too small to be seen with the naked eye, such as a bacterium, virus, or fungus.
Immunoglobulin M (IgM) is the first antibody produced in an immune response to any invading organism or toxic substance.
Inclusion conjunctivitis is caused by an intracellular organism called Chlamydia trachomatis.
A sputum culture may be performed, particularly if the sputum is green or has blood in it, to determine whether a bacterial infection is present and to identify the disease-causing organism so that an appropriate antibiotic can be selected.
Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs that can be caused by nearly any class of organism known to cause human infections, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.
Pneumonia can develop gradually in children after exposure to the causative organism, or it can develop quickly after another illness, reducing the lungs' ability to receive and distribute oxygen.
The onset, duration, and severity of pneumonia depend upon the type of infective organism invading the body and the response of the child's immune system in fighting the infection.
The invading organism causing pneumonia provokes an immune response in the lungs that causes inflammation of the lung tissue (pneumonitis), a condition that actually makes the lung environment more ideal for infection.
A small sample of sputum will be streaked on a special plate filled with medium that allows the specific organism to be grown in the laboratory under certain conditions.
Prognosis varies according to the type of organism causing the infection, the status of the immune system, and the overall health of the affected child.
Streptococcus pneumoniae, the most common organism causing pneumonia, has a significantly lower death rate of about 5 percent.
Pneumocystis carinii-An organism that causes pneumonia in immunodeficient individuals, such as people with AIDS.