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)
T
Tallow	The fat produced by the rendering process. It covers a whole range of different products from human food to animal feed and technical greases.
TAP	Transgenic Animal Programme, AFRC.
Targeting organ dose	The amount of potentially toxic substance reaching the organ chiefly affected by that substance. (IPCS)
Tau protein	A protein which stabilises elements of a cell's structure. Tau protein has been used as a marker for BSE infection.
TB	Tuberculosis, a bacterial infection.
T-cells, T-lymphocytes	Lymphocytes from the thymus.
TCI	European Parliament Temporary Committee of Inquiry into BSE. Set up by the European Parliament at its sitting of 18 July 1996, pursuant to its powers under Rule 136 of its Rules of Procedure.
Teart soil	Soil with an excessive amount of molybdenum, which is harmful to cattle in such quantities.
Temporal lobes	The parts of the cerebrum at the sides of the head.
Temporary safe reference action level (TSRAL)	Inhalational exposure level which is safe for a short period of time but which should be reduced as soon as possible or appropriate respiratory protection employed. (IPCS)
Teratogen	A substance (eg, thalidomide) which can cause non-heritable birth defects.
Teratogenesis	The production of non-heritable birth defects. (IPCS)
Thalamus	A part of the brain consisting of two large ovoid structures at the base of the cerebrum. It acts as a vital relay station between the sensory nerves and the cerebral cortex. (BVD)
Thorax	Chest (hence thoracic).
Thymus gland	A lymphoid organ situated towards the front of the chest area, the thymus produces T-cells for the immune response. An SBO. Also known as sweetbread.
Titre	A measure of concentration of a substance. In this Report, an estimate of the concentration of a TSE agent in a tissue or tissue sub-fraction.
TME	Transmissible mink encephalopathy.
TO	Treat Officially: the practice whereby a letter to a Minister is answered by officials.
Tolerance	The ability to experience exposure to potentially harmful amounts of a substance without showing an adverse effect. (IPCS) In immunology, the ability of a host to recognise its own proteins without developing an immune response.
Tolworth (Surrey)	Part of MAFF: location of the Animal Health Group and of the headquarters of the State Veterinary Service (SVS).
Topical	Of drugs or treatments being applied locally to the area being treated.
TOTO	A civil service acronym for 'Top Of The Office'.
Toxaemia	The presence of toxins in the blood-stream. (BVD)
Toxic	Able to cause injury to living organisms as a result of chemical interaction. (IPCS) See toxicity.
Toxicity	The quality of being poisonous, especially the degree of adverse affects. The severity of toxicity produced by any chemical is directly proportional to the exposure concentration and the exposure time. This relationship varies with the developmental stage of an organism and with its physiological status. Acute toxicity: adverse effects occurring within a short time of administration of a single dose of a chemical, or immediately following short or continuous exposure, or multiple doses over 48 hours or less. Subacute (subchronic) toxicity: adverse effects occurring as a result of repeated daily dosing of a chemical, or exposure to the chemical, for part of an organism's lifespan (usually not exceeding 10 per cent). With experimental animals, the period of exposure may range from a few days to six months. Chronic toxicity: adverse effects occurring as a result of repeated daily dosing of a chemical, or exposure to the chemical, for part of an organism's lifespan (usually not exceeding 19 per cent). With experimental animals, this usually means a period of exposure of more than three months. (IPCS)
Toxicity assessment	The process of defining the nature of injuries that may be caused to an organism by exposure to a given chemical and the exposure concentration and time dependence of the chemically induced injuries. The aim of the assessment is to establish safe exposure concentration limits in relation to possible time of exposure. (IPCS)
Toxin	A fairly complex and highly toxic organic substance produced by a living organism. (IPCS)
Tracheal	Relating to the trachea (windpipe).
Transgenic animals	Genetically engineered animals, bred by a technique in which all or parts of genes from one animal are inserted experimentally into the genes of the embryos of another. For example, mice can be given the PrP gene from hamsters.
Translation	The process by which a codon in an mRNA molecule gives rise to a specific sequence of amino acids during synthesis of a polypeptide. (COD)
Transmissible	Refers to infectious micro-organisms or diseases that can be naturally or experimentally transmitted to the host species or other species.
Transmissible mink encephalopathy	A TSE in mink.
Transmission	The passage of an infectious micro-organism from one animal to another.
Trigeminal ganglia	Cluster of neurons which supply motor and sensory function to the face.
Trimming	The practice of cutting off contaminated meat or other tissue from a carcass to guard against food-borne illness.
Tripe	The rumen of a cow (or bull).
TSE	Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy. Disease of the neurological system. Spongy degeneration of the brain with progressive dementia. Examples in humans include CJD and kuru. Among animals: scrapie and BSE. (BMD)
TSE isolate	The experimental outcome of primary experimental transmission of a naturally occurring TSE to another animal species, where the strain or strains involved in the experimental infection remain to be identified. The first passage of experimental material may then be further passaged in a series and lead to the identification of the strain(s) involved.
TTD	Time To Death.
Tubules	A minute tube, especially as an anatomical structure. (COD)
Tup	A male sheep; a ram.
TVI	Temporary Veterinary Inspector.
Tyguvon	An OP treatment for warble fly.
Tyrrell Committee	Consultative Committee on Research, established 27 February 1989 on the recommendation of the Southwood Report and chaired by Dr Tyrrell, to advise MAFF and DH on research into SEs, including the work in progress or proposed, additional research required and the priorities. Re-established as SEAC in April 1990.
U
Ubiquitin	A protein found in all eukaryotic cells that becomes covalently attached to certain residues of other proteins. The attachment of a chain of ubiquitins tags a protein for intracellular proteolytic destruction.
UDP	(Rumen) Undegraded Protein. That part of the protein in a raw material or feed which cannot be broken down by the rumen bacteria. A proportion of this (80-85 per cent) is subsequently digested in the small intestine. The output of the small intestine digestion is amino acids, which are absorbed and utilised by the animal for maintenance, growth and milk production. UDP was found by the ARC in 1980 to be a dietary need of high yielding dairy cows. Often referred to as bypass protein. MBM is a source of UDP. Cf. RDP.
UFU	Ulster Farmers' Union.
UK	United Kingdom: in full, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
UKASTA	UK Agricultural Supply Trade Association - representing most of the agriculture supply industry sectors. Formed in 1977.
UKRA	UK Renderers' Association.
UKRep	UK permanent representation to the EU.
Under Secretary	Grade 3 civil servant. In this Report, when hyphenated (ie, Under-Secretary), it refers to a Government Minister.
UNEGA	European Animal Fat Processors' Association.
Ungulate	Any hoofed animal.
UNISON	The trade union representing, among others, staff of the MHS. One of the unions that merged into UNISON was NALGO.
Uric acid	A crystalline, slightly soluble substance found in the urine of flesh-eating animals in normal conditions.
USDA	United States Department of Agriculture.
V
Vacuole/vacuolation	A vacuole is any space or cavity found within or between cells in any type of tissue. In TSEs several types of intra-cellular vacuoles can be present in the brain. Vacuolation is thus the development of characteristic vacuoles in the brain. Assessment of the locations, severity and types of vacuolation is used in distinguishing different TSE strains.
Vagus nerve	Either of the tenth pair of cranial nerves that arise from the medulla and supply chiefly the viscera, especially with autonomic sensory and motor fibres.
Valine	An essential amino acid.
vCJD	See nvCJD.
Vegetative dysfunction	The abnormal functioning of the autonomic nervous system, which then acts in an involuntary manner, to a large extent independently of the brain and spinal cord.
Ventral	Towards the abdomen.
Vertebrates	Species which have a backbone.
Vertical transmission	From parent to offspring. See also maternal transmission.
VFS	Veterinary Field Service, MAFF.
VHS	Veterinary Head of Section.
VI Centre; VIC	Veterinary Investigation Centre of the VIS. VICs are now part of the VLA in England and Wales. In Scotland they come under the Scottish Agricultural Colleges (part-funded by the Scottish Executive), and have changed their name to Disease Surveillance Centres.
VID	Veterinary Investigation Division, MAFF.
VIDA	Veterinary Investigation Diagnostic Analysis. A database/document that lists reports made by VICs of all recognised veterinary diseases. Circulated monthly to all VICs.
VIO	Veterinary Investigation Officer, MAFF.
Viraemic period	Period when a virus is present in the blood.
Virino	A hybrid between a protective host protein (PrP) and a replicable informational molecule, independent of the host, that is either an untranslated nucleic acid or a novel analogue. Proposed by some as the agent of TSEs.
Viroids	Small infectious RNA molecules, lacking a protein coat, that infect plants. They are the smallest known pathogens.
Virulence	The power of a bacterium or virus to cause disease. Virulence can be measured by how many people the micro-organism infects, how quickly it spreads through the body, and how many people die from it. (BMD)
Virus	Viruses are obligate intracellular parasites consisting of DNA or RNA enclosed in a protein coat. They range in diameter from 20 to 300 nanometres (a nanometre is one thousand millionth of a metre).
VIS; VI Service	Veterinary Investigation Service, MAFF. Part of the SVS. VIS also stands for MAFF's Veterinary Investigation Section.
Viscera (singular: viscus)	The larger organs lying within the cavities of the chest and abdomen. (BMD)
Vision	Internal publication of the VIS, informing the Service of the results of disease surveillance and new developments.
VLA	Veterinary Laboratories Agency - created in October 1995 as a result of the amalgamation of the CVL and 14 VICs. The VLA's purpose is to provide MAFF with specialist veterinary, scientific and technical support, consultancy and surveillance in the fields of animal health and welfare, food safety and the environment. The Agency may also deliver services and products to other public and private sector organisations on a commercial basis.
VMD	Veterinary Medicines Directorate, a MAFF agency.
VO	Veterinary Officer, MAFF.
VOMH	MAFF Veterinary Officer who has received special training in Meat Hygiene.
VPC	Veterinary Products Committee. Under the Medicines Act 1968, the VPC advises the Government on the safety and licensing of medicines for animals.
VRC	Veterinary Research Club.
VRO	Veterinary Research Officer, CVL.
Vuman Ltd	Technology development company owned by the University of Manchester.
W
Warblicide	A chemical preparation that kills warble fly.
Warren Spring Laboratory	A former government laboratory which was amalgamated with AEA Technology plc (National Environmental Technology Centre, Culham, Oxfordshire).
Wellcome Trust	A large charity that funds research.
Weanling	A young animal whose mother's milk has recently been replaced by some other form of nourishment.
Western blot	See immunoblot. The western blot method is used specifically for proteins.
Weybridge	The CVL is based at Weybridge (Surrey).
Whitehall	A collective term for the major Government Departments.
WHO	World Health Organisation.
Wildy Committee; Wildy Working Party	Professor Peter Wildy chaired committees including: (1) the ARC Advisory Committee on Scrapie Research, 1976-77; (2) the ARC Advisory Group on Scrapie Research, 1977-78; (3) the Director's Advisory Committee, NPU, 1985 until his death in 1987; and (4) the Wildy Working Party to review public-sector-funded research and development in diseases of agricultural animals and to recommend a framework for future research, 1985 until his death in 1987.
WOAD	Welsh Office Agriculture Department.
WTO	World Trade Organisation.
X
Y
Z
Zero phase	The period between inoculation and the time when infectivity can be detected.
Zoonosis	Animal disease which can be transmitted to humans (adjective: zoonotic).