papaverine

n. an opium alkaloid first isolated in the 1840s. It has no psychopharmacological activity but is a potent vasodilator. It is occasionally used to increase blood flow in the cerebral arteries in the treatment of angina pectoris, or—when injected into the corpora cavernosa (see corpus cavernosum) of the penis—to produce erection in the management of impotence. U.S. trade name: Para-Time S.R.

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Psychology term of the day

February 23rd 2025

inbreeding

n. the mating of individuals that are closely related. Inbreeding increases the risk of perpetuating certain genetic defects in the family, as in consanguineous marriages. Inbreeding within small populations, such as geographically isolated populations, leads to increased frequency of particular mutations within such groups. This fact has been used to demonstrate the founder effect for certain cancers and other disorders. Inbreeding studies have contributed to efforts to identify and test for mutations predisposing to disease in some groups of people. Compare outbreeding.