AVIRULENT Meaning and
Definition
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Avirulent is an adjective that describes a substance or organism that lacks the ability to cause disease or harm in living organisms. It is derived from the Latin word "a" meaning "without" and "virulent" meaning "poisonous" or "harmful." Avirulent can be applied to various contexts such as medicine, microbiology, and agriculture.
In the field of medicine, avirulent refers to a pathogen or microorganism that has lost its ability to produce disease or infection in humans or animals. It does not possess the necessary characteristics to cause harm or illness. Avirulent strains of bacteria or viruses often occur naturally or can be genetically engineered to create vaccines, which can enhance the immune response to a particular disease without causing severe symptoms.
In microbiology, avirulent denotes a weakened form of a microbe that retains its ability to grow and reproduce but does not display pathogenic properties. This concept is crucial in the study of host-microbe interactions and the development of treatments or preventive measures against infectious diseases.
In agriculture, avirulent is used to describe a plant or crop that is resistant to specific pathogens. Such crops are genetically modified or selectively bred to possess genetic traits that render them invulnerable to disease-causing agents.
Overall, avirulent characterizes entities that lack the ability to cause harm or disease, either naturally or through deliberate manipulation, making it a valuable term across various scientific disciplines.
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A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Common Misspellings for AVIRULENT
- zvirulent
- svirulent
- wvirulent
- qvirulent
- abirulent
- agirulent
- afirulent
- avurulent
- avjrulent
- avkrulent
- avorulent
- av9rulent
- av8rulent
- avieulent
- avifulent
- avitulent
- avi5ulent
- avi4ulent
- avirylent
Etymology of AVIRULENT
The word "avirulent" is derived from the Latin roots "a-", meaning "not", and "virulentus", meaning "poisonous" or "virulent". The prefix "a-" is commonly used in words to denote negation or absence, such as "asymmetrical" (not symmetrical) or "amoral" (not moral). Therefore, "avirulent" can be understood as the opposite of "virulent", indicating the lack of toxicity or pathogenicity.
Similar spelling word for AVIRULENT
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