postulate

postulate

 [pos´tu-lat]

anything assumed or taken for granted.

postulate of causality the postulate that every phenomenon has a cause or causes; i.e., that events do not occur at random but in accordance with physical laws so that in principle causes can be found for each effect.

Koch's p's a statement of the kind of experimental evidence required to establish the causative relation of a given microorganism to a given disease. The conditions are: 1, the microorganism is present in every case of the disease; 2, it is to be cultivated in pure culture; 3, inoculation of such culture must produce the disease in susceptible animals; 4, it must be obtained from such animals, and again grown in a pure culture.

Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, Seventh Edition. © 2003 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.

pos·tu·late

(pos'tyū-lāt),

A proposition that is taken as self evident or assumed without proof, as a basis for further analysis.
See also: hypothesis, theory.

[L. postulo, pp. -atus, to demand]

Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

pos·tu·late

(pos'chū-lăt)

A proposition that is taken as self-evident or assumed without proof as a basis for further analysis.
See also: hypothesis, theory

[L. postulo, pp. -atus, to demand]

Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing © Farlex 2012