Life at the Cell and Below-Cell Level. The Hidden History of a Fundamental Revolution in Biology
by
Gilbert N. Ling, Ph.D.
Pacific Press
2001
ISBN 0-9707322-0-1

"Dr. Ling is one of the most inventive biochemist I have ever met."
Prof. Albert Szent-Györgyi, Nobel Laureate

A Super-Glossary 
for Words, Terms and Basic Concepts Used in the Book

N

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 N

n: See Hill coefficient.

Na+: sodium ion, a sodium atom which has lost one electron and thus becomes a monovalent cation carrying a single positive charge.

Na channel: In the theory of action potential of Hodgkin and Huxley, the cell membrane is normally impermeable to Na+ However, during activity, pore-like structures in the phospholipid bilayer cell membrane called the sodium channel suddenly swing open al-lowing a momentary inrush of Na+ creating the spike of the action potential before its closure.

Na potential: In the theory of action potential of Hodgkin and Huxley, the tendency or potential of Na+ to rush into the cell when the Na channel is opened is called the Na potential. It is supposed to be present at all times due to the much higher concentration of this ion in the external medium than in the cell. In contrast, the sodium potential according to the Al Hypothesis is created momentarily and reversibly with the depolarization of the cell surface water and the increase of the c-value of the surface β- and γ-carboxyl groups.

Na-selective microelectrode: a glass microelectrode which can penetrate and record the Na+ activity in a living cell.

NaCl: sodium chloride, table salt.

NaF: sodium fluoride.

Na, K-activated ATPase: First isolated from the membrane fraction of crab nerve homogenate, this enzyme requires the presence of both K+ and Na+ for maximum activity in splitting off the terminal phosphate group of, or dephosphorylating ATP.

Na-selective glass electrode: a glass electrode which shows pronounced specific sensitivity to Na+. With such an electrode one can measure the free Na+ concentration (or more precisely, activity) in a solution. If one also determine the total Na+ concentration in the solution, one can also obtain the concentration of adsorbed or otherwise tethered Na+ by subtraction,

Nathanson's mosaic membrane theory: a theory of cell membrane structure by A. Nathanson at the beginning of the 20th century In this theory, the cell membrane is a mosaic of cholesterol and proteins (protoplasm).

native protein: As the name suggests, native proteins should be proteins as they exist in Nature. For most proteins this means as they exist inside living cells. However, in reality, the term native protein has gradually become identified with proteins in crystalline form. Evidence exist which show that major proteins examined do not exist in the socalled native state in living cells. {See [16.6(1.3)].}

native (globular) protein: See native protein.

near-neighbor interaction: interaction between near neighbors in a cooperative assembly.

nearest neighbor interaction energy, -γ/2+: The extra energy generated each time a new i-j neighboring pair is created in a cooperative assembly of infinitely long chains of similar sites on which one or the other of two alter-native species i and j are adsorbed.

Necturus: salamander, mud puppy, an amphibian superficially resembling lizards but without scales and covered with soft skin, breathing by gills in the larval stage.

negative energy: The energy between a pair of interacting positive charge (+e) and negative charge (-e) at a distance, r, apart in vacuum is equal to [(+e) × (-e)]/ r and the value is al-ways negative. Thus the larger the magnitude of the (absolute) values of the charges and the closer the distance r, the higher is not the energy but the negative energy of the interaction.

negative entropy: Roughly entropy is a measure of randomness. Negative entropy is a measure of order or organization.

nerve fiber: a common name for the long process of a nerve cell also called a nerve axon, along which nerve impulses are conducted.

neuron: a nerve cell.

NH group: an imino group. In proteins an imino group and a carbonyl group are parts of the peptide group (-NHCHRCO-) making up the polypeptide chain. R is the side chain.

NH4+: ammonium ion.

Nitella: genus name of a kind of giant algae belong to the family Characeae.

Nitella clavata: a species of Nitella.

nmoles: nanomoles, 10-9 mole.

NMR, nuclear magnetic resonance: When atoms like hydrogen, carbon isotope C13, and sodium isotope Na23 in molecules or in sol-ids are placed in a strong homogeneous magnetic field. Ho, they absorb energy from oscillating electromagnetic pulses of a specific (radiowave) frequency applied perpendicular to the direction of Ho This specific frequency, called the resonance frequency, varies directly with field Ho applied and with what is called magnetogyric ratio of the atom under study. For hydrogen atom the resonance frequency is 42.576 megacycles per second at a field of 10,000 gauss or 1 tesla. However, this is true only if all the secondary interfering factors are ignored. In fact, it is precisely these secondary interfering factors that make the study of nuclear magnetic resonance highly valuable, for these variations tell us about the environment of the atoms involved and the physical condition of the molecules containing the atom, e.g., Are these molecules free or fixed? NMR was originally used by physicists to measure the nuclear moments of the elements. Later, chemists found ways to use NMR to determine molecular structures, etc. After the introduction of the PM theory, NMR was used to test this theory of cell water.

NMR resonance peak: When the absorption of energy of a sample in an NMR spectrometer is plotted against the frequency of the radiowave applied, a peak is observed corresponding to the resonance frequency of that atom.

NMR rotational correlation time, τr: a characteristic time for the molecule to rotate through a radian or move over a distance comparable with its own dimension.

NMR spectrometer: an instrument that measures and records the NMR spectrum of a sample.

nonactin: an antibiotic which reversibly and preferentially binds K+ and has been used as a model ionophore ferrying K+ across phospholipid bilayers.

non-dialyzable: A substance is non-dialyzable if it cannot pass through a semipermeable membrane within a reasonably long period of time.

nonelectrolytes: a substance like sugar and benzene which is not appreciably ionized.

(NO-NO-NO)n: a colloidal system in which each chain of linear polymers carrying alternatingly negatively-charged sites and vacant sites at suitable distances apart is surrounded by n similar chains.

nonsolvent: a medium which does not dissolve substances normally dissolved in other similar media.

nonsolvent water: an early idea that water associated with colloidal materials does not dissolve substances which dissolve in normal liquid water This idea is at least partly incorrect.

NP-NP system: two juxtaposed surfaces each carrying a checkerboard of alternatingly positively-charged P sites and negatively-charged N sites at suitable distance apart.

NP-NP-NP system: a matrix of linear chains carrying alternatingly negatively-charged sites and positively charged sites at suitable distances apart.

(NP-NP-NP)n: a colloidal system in which each chain of linear polymers carrying alternatingly negatively-charged sites and positively-charged sites at suitable distances apart is surrounded by n similar chains.

N site: a negatively charged site.

nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer: an instrument which can exhibit and record the NMR spectrum of samples containing nuclides with non-zero nuclear spin quantum numbers like H, C13, Na23.

nuclear membrane: membrane covering the nucleus of a cell.

nucleation center: the focus or center usually on a solid surface where crystals of a chemical substance begins to form from that sub-stance in a non-solid form.

nucleus (of a cell): a cellular organelle composed of nuclear sap and nucleoprotein complex from which chromosomes and nucleoli arise and is enclosed in a nuclear membrane.

nucleus (of an atom): the positively charged central body of an atom containing nearly all the atom's mass and both protons and neutrons except in hydrogen which contains only a proton.

null-point method: a method introduced in 1987 by Ling and Hu163 for the determination of the amount of water adsorbed on a protein or polymer at near-saturation vapor pressure.

Разделы книги
"Life at the Cell and Below-Cell Level.
The Hidden History of a Fundamental Revolution in Biology":

Contents (PDF 218 Kb)
Preface (
PDF 155 Kb)
Answers to Reader's Queries (Read First!) (
PDF 120 Kb)
Introduction

1. How It Began on the Wrong Foot---Perhaps Inescapably
2. The Same Mistake Repeated in Cell Physiology
3. How the Membrane Theory Began
4. Evidence for a Cell Membrane Covering All Living Cells
5. Evidence for the Cell Content as a Dilute Solution
6. Colloid, the Brain Child of a Chemist
7. Legacy of the Nearly Forgotten Pioneers
8. Aftermath of the Rout
9. Troshin's Sorption Theory for Solute Distribution
10. Ling's Fixed Charge Hypothesis (LFCH)
11. The Polarized Multilayer Theory of Cell Water
12. The Membrane-Pump Theory and Grave Contradictions
13. The Physico-chemical Makeup of the Cell Membrane
14. The Living State: Electronic Mechanisms for its Maintenance and Control
15. Physiological Activities: Electronic Mechanisms and Their Control by ATP, Drugs, Hormones and Other Cardinal Adsorbents
16. Summary Plus
17. Epilogue 

A Super-Glossary

List of Abbreviations
List of Figures, Tables and Equations
References (
PDF 193 Kb)
Subject Index
About the Author

A Super-Glossary
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