distribution

distribution

 [dis″trĭ-bu´shun]

1. the specific location or arrangement of continuing or successive objects or events in space or time.

2. the extent of a ramifying structure such as an artery or nerve and its branches.

3. the geographical range of an organism or disease.

frequency distribution in statistics, a mathematical function that describes the distribution of measurements on a scale for a specific population.

normal distribution a symmetrical distribution of scores with the majority concentrated around the mean; for example, that representing a large number of independent random events. It is in the shape of a bell-shaped curve. Called also gaussian distribution. See illustration.

 Normal distribution. The approximate percentage of the area (or frequency) lying under the curve between standard deviations is indicated. From Dorland's, 2000.

probability distribution a mathematical function that assigns to each measurable event in a sample group the probability that the event will occur.

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

dis·tri·bu·tion

(dis'tri-byū'shŭn),

1. The passage of the branches of arteries or nerves to the tissues and organs.

2. The area in which the branches of an artery or a nerve terminate, or the area supplied by such an artery or nerve.

3. The relative numbers of people in each of various categories or populations such as in different age, gender, or occupational samples.

4. Partition.

5. The pattern of occurrence of a substance within or between organelles, cells, tissues, organisms, or taxa.

[L. distribuo, pp. -tributus, to distribute, fr. tribus, a tribe]

Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

distribution

(dĭs′trə-byo͞o′shən)

n.

1. The extension of the branches of arteries or nerves to the tissues and organs.

2. The area in which the branches of an artery or a nerve terminate, or the area supplied by such an artery or nerve.

3. The geographic occurrence or range of an organism.

4. A characterization of the occurrence of the actual unique values in a set of data (as in a frequency distribution) or of the theoretical unique values of a random variable (as in a probability distribution).

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dis′tri·bu′tion·al adj.

The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2007, 2004 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

distribution

Medspeak
The location or site of predilecton of a lesion or process.

Pharmacology
The reversible transfer of a drug from one site to another in the body.
 
Statistics
A group of ordered values; the frequencies or relative frequencies of all possible values of a characteristic.

Segen's Medical Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.

distribution

Clinical medicine The pattern of involvement of a tissue by a particular condition. See Batwing distribution, Fat distribution, Mocassin distribution, Stocking & glove distribution Epidemiology The frequency and pattern of health-related characteristics and events in a population Pharmacology The location–eg intravascular or extravascular of a therapeutic agent after absorption, which corresponds to the sum of its distribution and elimination; disposition includes both the alpha and beta portions of a declining serum dose concentration versus time curve. See Disposition, Elimination.

McGraw-Hill Concise Dictionary of Modern Medicine. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

dis·tri·bu·tion

(dis'tri-byū'shŭn)

1. The passage of the branches of arteries or nerves to the tissues and organs.

2. The area in which the branches of an artery or a nerve terminate, or the area supplied by such an artery or nerve.

3. Passage of an agent through blood or lymph to body sites remote from the site(s) of contact and absorption; thus called systemic distribution.

4. The relative numbers of people in each of various categories or populations, such as in different age, sex, or occupational samples.

5. The pattern of occurrence of a substance within or between cells, tissues, organisms, or taxa.

[L. dis-tribuo, pp. -tributus, to distribute, fr. tribus, a tribe]

Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing © Farlex 2012

distribution

the occurrence of a species over the total area in which it occurs, i.e. its range or geographical distribution. In aquatic organisms or soil organisms, or even organisms living on mountains, vertical distribution is also important. In some organisms vertical distribution may vary seasonally, as does geographical distribution, particularly in migratory forms. See also FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION, DISPERSION.

Collins Dictionary of Biology, 3rd ed. © W. G. Hale, V. A. Saunders, J. P. Margham 2005

dis·tri·bu·tion

(dis'tri-byū'shŭn)

1. Passage of branches of arteries or nerves to tissues and organs.

2. Area in which branches of an artery or a nerve terminate or area supplied by such artery or nerve.

[L. dis-tribuo, pp. -tributus, to distribute, fr. tribus, a tribe]

Medical Dictionary for the Dental Professions © Farlex 2012