Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Smith, Michael

(Encyclopedia)Smith, Michael, 1932–2000, British-born Canadian biochemist, Ph.D. Univ. of Manchester, 1956. Smith was a researcher at the Univ. of British Columbia from 1961 until his death in 2000. He shared the...

Ikeda, Hayato

(Encyclopedia)Ikeda, Hayato häyäˈtō ēkāˈdä [key], 1899–1965, Japanese political leader, prime minister (1960–64). After serving as an official in the finance ministry (1925–48) he entered politics, ga...

Duarte, José Napoleón

(Encyclopedia)Duarte, José Napoleón dwärˈtā [key], 1925–90, president of El Salvador (1980–82, 1984–89). A Christian Democrat, he was mayor of San Salvador (1964–70). In 1972, Duarte was elected presid...

polybrominated biphenyl

(Encyclopedia)polybrominated biphenyl or PBB, any of a group of organic compounds used as a fire retardant. In 1973 several thousand pounds of PBB were accidentally mixed with livestock feed that was later distribu...

Rous, Francis Peyton

(Encyclopedia)Rous, Francis Peyton, 1879–1970, American pathologist, b. Baltimore, educated at Johns Hopkins (B.A., 1900; M.D., 1905). He taught (1906–8) pathology at the Univ. of Michigan and in 1909 joined th...

Lorde, Audrey Geraldine

(Encyclopedia)Lorde, Audre, 1934–1992, African-American poet, essayist, and civil rights activist, b. New York City, grad. Columbia (M.L.S. 1961). Lorde was born to...

liposome

(Encyclopedia)liposome līˈpəsōmˌ, lĭpˈə– [key], microscopic, fluid-filled pouch whose walls are made of layers of phospholipids identical to the phospholipids that make up cell membranes. Liposomes are us...

biotechnology

(Encyclopedia)biotechnology, the use of biological processes, as through the exploitation and manipulation of living organisms or biological systems, in the development or manufacture of a product or in the technol...

castration

(Encyclopedia)castration, removal of the sex glands of an animal, i.e., testes in the male, or ovaries and often the uterus in the female. Castration of the female animal is commonly referred to as spaying. Castrat...

Weaver, Warren

(Encyclopedia)Weaver, Warren, 1894–1978, American scientist, b. Reedsburg, Wis., grad. Univ. of Wisconsin. He taught mathematics at Wisconsin (1920–32), was director of the division of natural sciences at the R...

Browse by Subject