#physiology

• Autoproteolysis — A biochemical process of spontaneous and autonomous cleavage, degradation, or enzymatic digestion of proteins within a cell or organic tissue, executed by the organism's own proteolytic enzymes (proteases, peptidases). This endogenous structural phenomenon occurs in a controlled manner during autophagy and cellular turnover, but can be triggered destructively and uncontrollably in pathological states of ischemia, acute inflammation, or immediately following cell death (post-mortem necrosis).
• Stump sprouting — An autonomous biological or technical process through which a harvested tree or woody plant reactivates its meristematic tissues at the base of the stem or root collar, generating fresh, vigorous shoots from a stump left in the soil. This structural vegetative regeneration phenomenon allows for the rapid restoration of forest biomass without the need for artificial replanting, serving as an endogenous mechanism of survival and adaptation for deciduous species following radical cuts or wildfires.
• Self-perception — A mental, cognitive, or sensory process through which an individual consciously perceives, decodes, and integrates their own internal states, emotions, impulses, or physiological signals; a structural reflexive act of becoming aware of the somatic and psychic self. In neurophysiology, it describes the nervous system's capacity to process native interoceptive and proprioceptive stimuli, forming the baseline for bodily identity and the mental representation of one's own ego.
• Autotomy — A reflex biological self-defense mechanism found in certain animals (such as lizards, crayfish, or insects), consisting of the spontaneous amputation or detachment of a body segment or limb caught or attacked by a predator. This structural reflex phenomenon distracts the aggressor and allows the animal to escape, with the lost limb being subsequently partially or fully regenerated through autonomous cell division.
• Autotrophic — Pertaining or relating to autotrophy; specific to the autonomous nutritional mode based on the synthesis of organic substances from inorganic compounds. This structural attribute describes metabolic processes, enzymatic systems, or cellular growth phases where external energy is chemically stored without dependency on other living organisms.
• Auxanograph — A technical apparatus or instrument for the automatic and continuous recording, on a chart or digital media, of the growth curve of plants or microorganism cultures over time; a combined device that measures and graphically plots organic dimensional variations.
• Auxanometer — A laboratory instrument or apparatus used for the precise measurement and dynamic tracking of the elongation rate of a plant's stem or organs, operating through the mechanical, optical, or digital amplification of the micrometric movements of growing plant tissues.
• Auxotonic — Relating to or characterized by a muscular contraction in which the tension within the fibers progressively increases as the muscle shortens (elongates); specific to movements executed against a variable elastic resistance (such as stretching a spring or the ejection phases of the heart).
• Auxotonie — A physiological phenomenon or process consisting of a muscular contraction during which the internal tension of the fibers progressively increases concurrently with the shortening of their length; a mechanical activity regimen characteristic of the myocardium during the blood ejection phase or skeletal muscles overcoming a variable elastic resistance.
• Hearing — One of the five fundamental senses of humans and vertebrate animals, through which sound waves from the environment are perceived; a complex physiological function performed by the auditory system (ear, acoustic nerve, and cortical centers in the brain), consisting of transforming mechanical vibrations into nerve impulses.
• Avital — Lacking vitality, energy, or biological strength; manifesting an extremely low level of vital functions or structural dynamism. In medicine and biology, the term describes tissues, organs, or organisms that do not show active signs of life or normal cellular reflexes, but have not yet entered a state of complete necrosis or irreversible structural degradation.
• Azoturia — The quantitative elimination of nitrogen or its nitrogenous compounds (especially urea, uric acid, and creatinine) through urine within a specified timeframe. Clinical evaluation of azoturia is a fundamental indicator in analyzing the body's nitrogen balance, reflecting the protein catabolism rate and renal filtration efficiency.