polyoma virus
- noun
- /ˌpɒliˈoʊmə ˈvaɪrəs/
- Specialized
:
virus polioma
- Scientists discovered that the polyoma virus could initiate a variety of tumors in laboratory mice.
Examples
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The polyoma virus has been used extensively in cancer research due to its tumor-inducing properties.
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Understanding how the polyoma virus interacts with host cells has contributed to advances in virology.
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The polyoma virus is a significant focus in cancer research.
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Scientists are studying the effects of the polyoma virus on mice.
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Researchers found that the polyoma virus can lead to the development of tumors in mice.
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The polyoma virus is crucial for studying tumor formation in various animal models.
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Scientists are investigating how the polyoma virus causes different types of tumors in laboratory animals.
Synonyms
A virus that can cause tumors in animals such as mice and that scientists study in cancer research
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound simply combines 'polyoma' (a tumor-inducing agent) with 'virus', so a learner who knows both constituents can infer it denotes a virus of the polyoma type that can cause tumors. Although technical vocabulary, the naming is compositional and follows common cross-linguistic medical naming patterns, making the meaning derivable from the parts.
Etymology
Polyoma virus comes from old Greek parts poly ('many') and oma ('tumor'). The name is a simple memory hook: this virus can cause many tumors in mice, so scientists used that name to show its meaning.
