Volume 16: Reference Material
Glossary
Dictionary references

Some definitions in this glossary are quoted directly from another source.These sources, abbreviated in the glossary, are listed below.

Term or abbreviation	Meaning (all words in bold type are defined in this glossary)
P
Parenteral inoculation	Inoculation by any route other than by the mouth or by the bowel. (BMD)
Paresis	Muscular weakness or partial paralysis caused by nerve damage or disease. (COD)
Parietal lobe	The part of the cerebrum at the top of the head.
Parkinson's disease	A chronic progressive nervous disease chiefly of later life that is linked to decreased dopamine production in the brain and marked by tremor and weakness of resting muscles and by a shuffling gait.
Parturition	Labour (of a pregnant woman or animal).
Passage	The replication of a micro-organism in culture, in a living organism or in a developing egg. In the case of TSEs, the infectious agent is often 'passaged' through successive experimental animals.
Pathogen	A bacterium, virus or other micro-organism that can cause disease. (COD)
Pathogenesis	The manner of development of a disease. (COD)
Pathogenic	Disease-producing.
Pathognomonic	Signs or symptoms which are specially characteristic of certain diseases, and on the presence or absence of which the diagnosis depends. (BMD)
Pathology	The study of the causes of, and changes produced in the body by, disease. (BMD)
PCR	Polymerase chain reaction. A tool for amplifying specific sequences of DNA.
PDM	Prosper De Mulder Ltd, a large rendering firm.
Pedigree data	The line of descent of a purebred animal.
Peduncle	A stalk-like structure that usually acts as a support. (BMD)
Peptide	A compound consisting of two or more amino acids linked in sequence. (COD) Proteins are polypeptides.
Peptide bonds	The links between the amino acids in a protein.
Peracute	Badly acute.
Peripheral route	Any route other than via the central nervous system, eg, intravenous, subcutaneous or intraperitonal inoculation.
Permanent Secretary	Grade 1 civil servant, head of the Department.
PES	Public Expenditure Survey. The annual exercise conducted by central government to determine the appropriate levels of tax- and loan-funded expenditure by the public sector for the next three financial years, and to apportion the totals between spending programmes, in line with the aims and objectives of the Government as a whole and of individual Departments.
Pesticides	Chemicals used to control the number of pests and minimise their impact on agriculture, health and other human interests. Pesticides are often classified according to the organisms which they are used to control, eg, fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, molluscicides, nematicides, rodenticides, warblicides. (IPCS)
Peyer's patches	An aggregation of lymph nodules found in sheep and cattle, chiefly in the ileum near its junction with the colon. They are circular or oval, about 1 cm wide, and 2 to 3 cm long. They lie in the mucosal and submucosal layers and always occur on the side of the intestine opposite to the attachment or the mesentery. In typhoid fever, they undergo hyperplasia and often become ulcerated. (Taber)
PFMA	Pet Food Manufacturers' Association.
PG	Policy group (MAFF).
Pharmacological	Of the properties and reactions of drugs, especially in relation to their therapeutic value.
Pharynx	The part of the vertebrate alimentary canal between the cavity of the mouth and the oesophagus (gullet).
Phenol	A corrosive poisonous crystalline derivative of benzene, used as an antiseptic and disinfectant and in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals.
Phenotype	The observable characteristics of an individual resulting from the interaction of its genotype with the environment. (COD)
PHLS	Public Health Laboratory Service. Responsible for the surveillance and monitoring and contributing to the control of communicable diseases in humans. It does this through a network of laboratories, a central reference laboratory, and a communicable disease surveillance centre.
Phosphorylation	The process of bringing a phosphate group into a chemical compound either by reaction with inorganic phosphate or by transfer of phosphate from another organic phosphate. Phosphorylation can occur either during or after protein synthesis, and affects protein structure and function.
Phosmet	An OP insecticide used since 1985, poured on the back of an animal. Used on plants as well as animals. Also found in combination with other insecticides such as carbophenothion.
Physiological	Characteristic of, or appropriate to, an organism's healthy or normal functioning.
Pithing	Insertion of a rod through the stun hole in the head of cattle to prevent the animal kicking (a reflex action which sometimes occurs after stunning). Cf. captive bolt pistol stunner.
Pituitary gland	An ovoid structure, weighing around 0.5 grams in the adult, attached to the base of the brain, and lying in the depression in the base of the skull - the most important ductless, or endocrine, gland in the body. (BMD) See also hGH.
PMO	Principal Medical Officer, DH.
PO	Private Office (of a Minister or senior civil servant).
Polyanionic glycan	A complex carbohydrate (polysaccharide) bearing multiple negative charges.
Polymorphism	The occurrence of something in several different forms. (COD)
Polypeptide	A chain of peptides.
Polysaccharide	A carbohydrate that can be decomposed by hydrolysis into two or more molecules of monosaccharides. Polysaccharides are often linked to proteins in glycoproteins and confer specific properties on the structure and function of the glycoprotein.
Pons	The part of the brainstem that links the medulla oblongata and the thalamus. (COD)
Porcine	Of, or characteristic of, pigs.
Positive-line	A breed or selection line of an animal species which is known to be susceptible to particular strains of a disease agent. Cf. negative-line.
Post partum	After birth.
Post-translational event	The modification of a protein after its synthesis (translation from mRNA), such as glycosylation or phosphorylation.
Potentiation	The effect of a chemical which does not itself have an adverse effect but which enhances the toxicity of another chemical. (IPCS)
PPH syndrome	See pyrexia, pruritus, haemorrhagic syndrome.
PPS	Parliamentary Private Secretary; also, Principal Private Secretary to a Minister.
PQ	Parliamentary Question.
Practical certainty	Numerically specified low risk or socially acceptable risk applied to decision-making. (IPCS) See also safety.
President of the Board of Trade	The Cabinet Minister in charge of the DTI. Before Mr Michael Heseltine assumed this post in April 1992, it was known as Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.
Preston Report	Meat Inspection Review, a report on red meat inspection in Great Britain, prepared in 1985 by a committee chaired by Sir Peter Preston.
Primate	Any of an order of mammals comprising humans, apes, monkeys and related forms (such as lemurs and tarsiers).
Prion	See prion protein. The word 'prion' was coined in the 1980s by a rearrangement of elements from proteinaceous infectious particle.
Prion protein (PrP)	Protease-resistant membrane protein, also known as prion protein (PrP): a normal, host-coded protein that becomes protease-resistant in infected tissue and accumulates around CNS lesions in TSEs. The protease-resistant form PrPSc is a major component of SAFs. Until recently, the function of PrP was unknown despite its presence in many different organs and tissues of healthy animals, including the brain. There is recent evidence that PrP in uninfected animals has the property of mopping up harmful 'oxygen free radicals' or carries out some signalling functions between cells.
Prion theory	Prusiner's theory that 'prions' are the agents that cause TSEs.
Propetamphos	An OP farm dip.
Prophylaxis	Action taken to prevent disease. (COD)
Protease	Enzyme that catalyses the splitting of interior peptide bonds in a protein.
Protein	A folded chain of amino acids.
Proteinase K	A type of protease.
Protein markers	Proteins of known characteristics (eg, weight, glycosylation) that can be used as a standard, or marker, with which unknown proteins can be compared.
Proteolysis	The splitting of proteins by proteases.
Proteolytic cleavage	The cleavage of proteins between specific amino acid residues to yield distinctive peptide fragments. Proteolytic cleavage can be carried out by both enzymes and other chemicals.
PrPC, PrPSen	PrPCellular: the normal cellular isoform of PrP, also known as PrPSen (for 'sensitive to protease').
PrP gene	Gene found in mammals from which the amino acid sequence of PrPC is determined.
PrPSc, PrPRes	PrPScrapie: the abnormal disease-specific isoform of PrP derived post-translationally from PrPC. Also known as PrPResistant, ie, resistant to protease. PrPSc is a generic term now used for all disease-associated PrP.
Pruritis	Itching.
PS	Private Secretary to a senior official or Minister.
PSD	Pesticide Safety Directorate. A MAFF agency responsible for registration of agricultural pesticides.
Pulmonary	Pertaining to the lungs.
PUSS	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (junior Minister); also known as Parliamentary Secretary.
Pyrethroids	Synthetic equivalents of some of the active principles of pyrethrum flowers and used as potent insecticides. Commercial preparations include Outflank and Stomaxin. (BVD)
Pyrexia	Fever.
Pyrexia, pruritis, haemorrhagic syndrome (PPH)	A syndrome reported in cattle fed on citrus pulp, which was mouldy and contained citrinin. (BVD)
Q
QMLA	Quality Meat and Livestock Alliance.
Quicklime	A white caustic alkaline substance (calcium oxide) obtained by heating limestone and used for making mortar or as a fertiliser or bleach. (COD)
R
R&D	Research and Development.
RAG	TSE Research Advisory Group, DH and MRC. Advises on strategy and priorities for research into human aspects of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies.
RCVS	Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
RDP	Rumen Degradable Protein. That portion of the protein in a raw material or feed which is available for breakdown by the bacteria in the rumen and incorporation into bacterial protein. Cf. UDP.
Reagent	A substance or mixture for use in chemical analysis or other reactions. (COD)
Recombination	Process in which chromosomes or DNA molecules are broken and the fragments are rejoined in new combinations. Can occur in the living cell - eg, through crossing-over during meiosis - or in the test tube using purified DNA and enzymes that break and ligate (tie up) DNA strands. (Alberts)
Recommended limit	Maximum concentration of a potentially toxic substance which is suggested to be safe. Such limits often have no legal backing, in which case a control or statutory guide level that should not be exceeded under any circumstances may be set. (IPCS)
Recumbency	State of lying down.
Red nucleus	A small part of the brain, near the midbrain, in the habenular nucleus. It is red (actually pink) because of an iron-containing pigment in many of the cells.
Reduction	The process whereby electrons are added to an atom during a chemical reaction. For example, the reduction of a disulphide bond results in the breaking of that bond.
Relative risk	Ratio between risks in populations exposed to a potentially toxic substance and those which are not. (IPCS) See risk.
Render (rendering process)	Processing offal and other parts of discarded animal carcasses to make meat and bone meal, and tallow. This is achieved by drying/cooking and separating the solid fraction (protein meals) from the melted liquid fraction (tallow and animal fat). See continuous and batch rendering and vol. 13: Industry Processes and Controls.
Reported cases	Cattle reported to MAFF with clinical signs, suspected to be of BSE, in which the Veterinary Officer investigating cannot rule out BSE as a possible cause. These animals have Form A restrictions served on them. They may subsequently have Form A restrictions removed as a result of their recovery or the diagnosis of an alternative condition. Otherwise they will be slaughtered and subjected to histopathological examination of the brain tissue to confirm BSE.
Research Councils	Non-departmental public bodies that fund research, established under the Science and Technology Act 1965 and by Royal Charter. Two research councils are the MRC and BBSRC. All six research councils are funded by grant-in-aid from the Science Budget, which is administered by the Office of Science and Technology (OST) in the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
Restriction endonucleases	Enzymes which cleave DNA into fragments at specific sites. They are common tools in molecular biology since they produce fragments of known size, and are often referred to as 'molecular scissors'.
Retrospective study	Looks backwards, eg, at individuals' records.
RFB	See ruminant feed ban.
RFLP	Restriction fragment length polymorphisms: identified by the analysis of sequence differences in DNA (genes) using restriction enzymes to cut off lengths of DNA at highly specific sites.
Richmond Committee	Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food (ACMSF), whose remit was to assess the risk to humans of micro-organisms which are used, or occur, in or on food, and to advise Ministers on the exercise of powers in the Food Safety Act relating to the microbiological safety of food.
Rida	A TSE of sheep in Iceland. Equivalent to scrapie.
RIO	Regulated Incinerator Operators' Group, representing private sector animal remains incineration plants.
Risk	The predicted or actual frequency of occurrence of an adverse effect of a chemical or other hazard. (IPCS)
Risk assessment	The process of decision-making applied to problems where there are a number of possible outcomes and it is uncertain what event will happen. (IPCS)
Risk evaluation	The determination of the significance of risk to those affected. (IPCS)
Risk management	Judgements on the acceptability of risks and consequent decisions on appropriate actions. (IPCS)
RMHA	Regional Meat Hygiene Adviser, MAFF.
RNA	Ribonucleic acid. See nucleic acid.
RO	Research Officer.
ROAME	Rationale, Objectives, Appraisal, Monitoring and Evaluation: a government-wide scheme for the commissioning of government research.
Roslin Institute	In 1986, as part of significant restructuring by the AFRC, the portion of the ABRO that had not formed the NPU, together with the Poultry Research Centre (PRC) and the Institute of Animal Physiology, combined to form the Animal Physiology and Genetics Research Institute. This Institute had two research centres, one stationed at Cambridge and the other at Edinburgh. In 1992 these two research centres separated, and the centre in Edinburgh became the Roslin Institute in 1993.
Rostral	Towards the head.
RPSGB	Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.
Rumen	The first compartment of the stomach of a ruminant. (DOA)
Ruminant	Animal that chews the cud (partly digested food) regurgitated from its rumen, and has a stomach of four compartments.
Ruminant feed ban	Introduced by the BSE Order 1988, which prohibited '(1) the sale and supply for feeding to ruminating animals of any feeding stuff in which any animal protein (as defined by the Order) has been incorporated and (2) the feeding to ruminating animals of any such feeding stuff (article 7)'. In effect this banned the use of MBM (unless derived from non-ruminants) in feed for ruminants (mainly cattle and sheep).
RVO	Regional Veterinary Officer, MAFF.
S
S&T	Science and Technology.
SAFs	Scrapie-associated fibrils. Abnormal fibrils which can be detected in infected brain extracts with an electron microscope. The presence of these fibrils is now recognised as one characteristic of TSEs.
Safety	The practical certainty that injury will not result from exposure to a hazard under defined conditions: in other words, the high probability that injury will not result. (IPCS)
Sagittal	A structure or section running from front to back in the body. (BMD)
SBM	Specified Bovine Material - a later name for SBO. It consists of SBO, plus the head, including brain but excluding tongue. All SBM is dyed blue after slaughter.
SBO	Specified Bovine Offal. Specified cattle tissues banned for consumption: brain, spinal cord, spleen, thymus, tonsils and intestines. Also known as BSE waste.
SBO ban	The 'human SBO ban' banned the sale or use of SBO in food for human consumption. The 'animal SBO ban' banned its use in animal feed and the feeding of SBO to animals.
Scintillation	A flash produced in a material by an ionising particle, etc.
Scrapie	A transmissible spongiform encephalopathy endemic in British sheep and found in many parts of the world. Also found in goats. Can be transmitted naturally or experimentally to other animals such as mice. The experimental model for work on TSEs.
SCS	Senior Civil Service. Formerly known as Grades 1-5.
ScVC	Scientific Veterinary Committee (EU), set up in 1981 to provide the SVC and European Commission with expert advice on all scientific and technical problems concerning animal health, veterinary public health and animal welfare. The scientists are selected by the Commission on open recruitment.
SDE	Spongiform Degenerative Encephalopathy.
SDS	Sodium dodecyl sulphate. A detergent.
SE	Spongiform Encephalopathy.
SEAC	Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee. The committee set up in response to the Tyrrell Committee's recommendations. Established in April 1990 with a wider remit to advise MAFF, DH and the Welsh, Scottish and Northern Ireland Offices on matters related to SEs. It effectively assumed the role of both the Southwood Working Party and the Consultative Committee on Research (Tyrrell Committee).
SEBG	Science and Engineering Base Group, OST.
Secretary	Usually short for Permanent Secretary.
Secretary of State	Cabinet Minister (although not all Cabinet Ministers are Secretaries of State).
Seizure	A sudden manifestation or recurrence of a disease.
Selenium	Trace element, an essential part of the diet for all animals. (DOA)
Sentinel farms	Farms chosen for extra monitoring (ie, more than farms generally have) by government or vets, for various agricultural purposes including the occurrence of disease.
SEO	Senior Executive Officer, civil service. The level between HEO and Grade 7.
Serum (plural: sera)	The clear liquid that separates from blood when clotting occurs.
SFMTA	Scottish Federation of Meat Traders' Associations (Inc.).
SHHD	Scottish Home and Health Department.
SI	Statutory Instrument. A Government Order of subordinate legislation. SIs are laid by Ministers and approved by Parliament.
Silage	Feed that is harvested in the green state and preserved in a silo in a succulent condition for later use. The principle of silage-making is the fermentation, by bacteria, of carbohydrates in the plant material to organic acids, and of proteins to amino acids, which act as preservatives. (BAD)
Sinc gene	Mouse gene that regulates the incubation period of natural and experimental scrapie and other TSE agents. Its gene product (PrP) is postulated as the agent replication site in the virino hypothesis or as the precursor of infectious proteins in the prion theory.
Sip gene	Sheep gene that regulates the incubation period of natural and experimental scrapie: the version in sheep of the sinc gene in mice (see above).
Slow viruses	An umbrella term for those viruses whose effects on the nervous system take a long time to show after their initial infection of the host. The diseases may take years to develop during which time gradual but widespread damage of the nervous system occurs. The outcome is a loss of brain function and eventually death.
SMHA	Superintending Meat Hygiene Adviser, MAFF.
SMO	Senior Medical Officer, DH.
SNBTS	Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service.
SOAEFD	Scottish Office Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department (see also DAFS).
Sodium metaperiodate	A powerful oxidising chemical used for disinfection.
SODoH, SODH	Scottish Office Department of Health.
Soil Association	The Soil Association represents and promotes organic farming in the UK. Its aim is 'to research, develop and promote sustainable relationships between the soil, plants, animals, people and the biosphere, in order to produce healthy food and other products while protecting and enhancing the environment'.
Somatic cell	A non-reproductive cell. Cf. gamete (germ cell).
Somatotrophin	A growth hormone secreted by the anterior pituitary gland. (COD)
Southwood Working Party	Established in May 1988 to examine the implications of BSE (then a newly identified neurological disorder of cattle) in relation to both animal health and any possible human health hazards; and to advise the Government on any necessary measures.
SPATS course	Civil service Senior Professional Administration Training Scheme.
SPECT	Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography. A neuroimaging technique which shows cross-section images of the brain. Unlike MRI or computerised axial tomography (CAT), which depict anatomy, SPECT scanning provides information on brain function.
Spinal cord	Part of the central nervous system that lies protected by the vertebrae of the spinal column, and from which spinal nerves emerge.
Splanchnic	Anything belonging to the internal organs of the body as distinct from its framework. (BMD)
Spleen	An organ of the lymphoreticular system (LRS). A major site of replication of TSEs in some species.
Splenectomy	Surgical removal of the spleen.
SPMO	Senior Principal Medical Officer, DH.
Spongiform encephalopathy	See TSE (transmissible spongiform encephalopathy).
Sporadic disease	Occurring in single cases here and there, as distinct from an epidemic.
SRM	Specified Risk Materials: combination of SBM and 'specified' tissues from sheep and goats.
SRO	Senior Research Officer, CVL.
SSPE	Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, a chronic measles condition affecting the brain. A disease which can be mistaken for CJD.
Staggers	A condition of animals in which they are caused to stagger about. (BAD)
Static Pot method	A batch rendering method.
Stereotactic electrodes	Electrodes used in neurosurgery to stimulate specific areas of the brain. The electrodes are mounted on an apparatus that allows precise positioning.
Stifle	The joint in cattle and other animals corresponding to the human knee. (BVD)
Straight feedstuff ('straights')	A vegetable or animal product in its natural state, fresh or preserved, and any single product derived from the industrial processing thereof, and any single organic or inorganic substance, whether or not it contains any additive, intended as such for oral animal feeding.
Strains	Micro-organisms identical in antigenicity or other features which distinguish them from other related organisms. With TSEs antigenicity is not relevant. For example, scrapie strains can be distinguished by relative lengths of incubation period in specific PrP genotypes and/or the type and pattern of lesions in affected brains.
Strongyle	A parasitic worm that can cause diseases.
Stun box	Device used to restrain an animal during the stunning procedure. See also captive bolt pistol stunner.
Sturdy	See gid.
Subclinical state	When a disease has not progressed far enough to show clear signs and symptoms.
Subcutaneous (s/c) injection	Injection under the skin.
Submaxillary salivary glands	Salivary glands located deep behind the jaw bone.
Submission	Term used in the civil service to refer to a document submitted by officials to a Minister seeking a decision and setting out the background, suggested options, relevant data and considerations and, usually, a recommendation.