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Glite Dictionary
nerve growth factor

nerve growth factor

1 5.3
A protein that helps nerve cells grow and stay healthy
  • noun
  • /nɜrv ɡroʊθ ˈfæktər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : factor de crecimiento nervioso
  • neurotrophic factor or BDNF and nerve growth factor or NGF, but this has been experimentally reversed by administration of sulfur fame.

It's a very good edible mushroom, but this has a unique nerve growth factor, appears to improve cognitive function, may help ward off dementia.

Examples

  • It's a very good edible mushroom, but this has a unique nerve growth factor, appears to improve cognitive function, may help ward off dementia.

    Rich Roll

  • He was showing some honchos the nerve growth factor, which is kept in my freezer, and he spotted the caf tubes.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • That work showed that only the nerve fibers that could correctly connect to targets outside the nervous system would survive, and that these targets produced a protein called nerve growth factor, responsible for keeping the nerves alive.

    Blog text (1)

  • Nerve growth factor plays a crucial role in the survival of peripheral nerve growth factor cells during development.

  • Research indicates that nerve growth factor is essential for the maintenance of healthy nerve cells.

  • Elevated levels of nerve growth factor were detected in patients with nerve damage, suggesting a protective effect.

Synonyms

NGF
vsnerve growth factor
  • Specialized
1 8.0

A protein that helps nerve cells grow and stay alive, especially in nerves outside the brain and spinal cord

is the full descriptive term rather than the shortened letter form

Surface Forms

nerve growth factor singular
nerve growth factors plural

Morphology

nerve + growth + factor

The phrase is compositionally built: 'nerve' + 'growth' denotes growth of nerves and 'factor' denotes an element that influences an outcome, so a 'nerve growth factor' is an element that promotes the growth of nerves. Although it's a technical biomedical term, the overall meaning is directly derivable from the constituent words, making it understandable to learners who know those words.

Etymology

Nerve growth factor is a name that tells its job: nerve, growth, and factor show it is a protein that helps nerve cells grow. It helps those cells stay healthy and repair after damage, so the name means 'a protein that helps nerve cells grow and survive'.