Carrier

carrier /car·ri·er/ (kar´e-er)

1. one who harbors disease organisms in their body without manifest symptoms, thus acting as a distributor of infection.

2. a heterozygote, i.e., one who carries a recessive gene and thus does not express the recessive phenotype but can transmit it to offspring.

3. a chemical substance that can accept electrons and then donate them to another substance (being reduced and then reoxidized).

4. a substance that carries a radioisotopic or other label; also used for a second isotope mixed with a particular isotope (see carrier-free ).

5. transport protein.

6. in immunology, a macromolecular substance to which a hapten is coupled in order to produce an immune response against the hapten.

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car·ri·er (kr-r)

n.

1. A person or an animal that shows no symptoms of a disease but harbors the infectious agent of that disease and is capable of transmitting it to others.

2. A compound capable of transferring a hydrogen atom from one compound to another.

3. A quantity of naturally occurring element added to a minute amount of pure isotope, especially a radioactive one, to facilitate the chemical handling of the isotope.

4. An individual that carries, but does not express, a gene for a particular recessive trait, yet when mated with another carrier, can produce offspring that do.

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Carrier

A person who has a genetic defect but does not develop any symptoms or signs of the defect. The carrier's offspring may inherit the defect and develop the associated disorder.

Mentioned in: Albinism, Diphtheria, Genetic Testing, Hepatitis C, Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum, Salmonella Food Poisoning, Throat Culture, Von Willebrand Disease, X-Linked Agammaglobulinemia

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carrier,

n 1. a person harboring a specific infectious agent without clinical evidence of disease and who serves as a potential source or reservoir of infection for others. May be a healthy or convalescent carrier.
n 2. the party of the dental plan contract who agrees to pay claims or provide service. Also called
insurer, underwriter, and
administrative agent. See also third party.

carrier, amalgam,

n an instrument used to carry plastic amalgam to the prepared cavity or mold into which it is to be inserted.

carrier, foil,

n See foil passer.

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carrier

1. an animal which harbors a disease organism in its body without manifest signs, thus acting as a carrier or distributor of infection. A carrier may be one with a latent infection and which appears healthy. Other types of carriers are the incubatory carrier, when the animal is not yet showing clinical signs, or a convalescent carrier when it has passed the clinical stage.

2. a heterozygote, i.e. an animal which carries a recessive gene, autosomal or sex-linked, together with its normal allele.

3. an edible material used in the formulation of processed feeds. The carrier is used to absorb or attach other ingredients by impregnation or coating so that they are evenly mixed throughout the feed.

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carrier detection

in genetic terms the detection of a heterozygote which carries the gene which is under investigation.

carrier effect

use of a hapten conjugated to a carrier protein in a primary immune response will result in a secondary immune response to the same combination, but not to the hapten alone or in association with a different carrier protein.

carrier register

in genetic terms is a list of all the animals which have produced an affected offspring.

carrier state

the state of being a carrier of an infectious disease or of a genetic defect.

carrier test herd

a herd consisting entirely of known carriers of a gene which is under investigation; a definition which could be extended to include a herd comprising only individuals known to carry a specific infectious agent.