p53

n. a tumor-suppressor gene that regulates an organism’s cell cycle and protects the cell’s DNA from damage. Mutations in p53 cause cells to become malignant. Germ-line mutations in p53 are responsible for most cases of Li–Fraumeni syndrome, and in families with this syndrome, carriers of p53 mutations have a 90% lifetime risk of developing one or more kinds of cancer.

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Psychology term of the day

November 20th 2024

density

1. the compactness of the constituent elements of something, reflecting its degree of impenetrability.

2. a measure of the amount of physical space per individual. High density can produce crowding, the feeling of having insufficient space. Interior indices of density (e.g., people per room) are consistently related to negative psychological consequences, whereas external indices (e.g., people per square mile) are not. See also social density; spatial density. —dense adj.