3. UMLS SEMANTIC NETWORK 3.0 Introduction The Semantic Network is one of four Knowledge Sources under development by the National Library of Medicine as part of the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) project. Other Knowledge Sources are the Metathesaurus, the SPECIALIST Lexicon, and the Information Sources Map. The Semantic Network provides a consistent categorization of all concepts represented in the UMLS Metathesaurus and of the important interrelationships between them. This section of the documentation provides an overview of the Semantic Network, as well as information about the Network's semantic types and semantic relationships. It also describes the files provided with the UMLS that contain this information. Hierarchies and definitions for the semantic types and relationships are given, and sample records give the reader an indication of the structure and content of each of the files. 3.1 Overview The purpose of the Semantic Network is to provide a consistent categorization of all concepts represented in the UMLS Metathesaurus and to provide a set of useful relationships between these concepts. All information about specific concepts is found in the Metathesaurus; the Network provides information about the set of basic semantic types, or categories, which may be assigned to these concepts, and it defines the set of relationships that may hold between high level semantic types. The 1996 release of the Semantic Network contains 135 semantic types and 51 relationships. The Semantic Network serves as an authority for the semantic types that are assigned to concepts in the Metathesaurus and that are assigned to databases in the Information Sources Map (ISM). The Network defines these types, both with textual descriptions and by means of the information inherent in its hierarchies. The semantic types are the nodes in the Network, and the relationships between them are the links. There are major groupings of semantic types for organisms, anatomical structures, biologic function, chemicals, events, physical objects, and concepts or ideas. An important aspect of the Semantic Network is that the level of granularity varies across the Network. The intent is to establish a set of semantic types that will be useful for a variety of tasks, without introducing undue complexity. The current scope of the UMLS semantic types is quite broad, allowing for the semantic categorization of a wide range of terminology in multiple domains. The primary link is the "isa" link. This establishes the hierarchy of types within the Network and is used for deciding on the most specific semantic type available for assignment to a Metathesaurus concept. In addition, a set of potentially useful non-hierarchical relations between the types has been identified. These are grouped into five major categories, which are themselves relations: "physically related to", "spatially related to", "temporally related to", "functionally related to", and "conceptually related to". The relations are stated between high level nodes in the Network whenever possible and are generally inherited via the "isa" link by all the children of those nodes. Thus, for example, the relation "process of" is stated to hold between the semantic types "Biologic Function" and "Organism". Therefore, it also holds between "Organ or Tissue Function" (which is a "Physiologic Function", which is, in turn, a "Biologic Function") and "Animal" (which is an "Organism"). Tables containing the fully inherited set of non-hierarchical links are also provided. The relations are stated between semantic types and do not necessarily apply to all instances of concepts that have been assigned to those semantic types. That is, the relation may or may not hold between any particular pair of concepts. So, though the relation "evaluation of" holds between the semantic types "Sign" and "Organism Attribute", a particular sign or a particular attribute may not be linked by this relation. Thus, signs such as "overweight" and "fever" are evaluations of the organism attributes "body weight" and "body temperature", respectively. However, "overweight" is not an evaluation of "body temperature", and "fever" is not an evaluation of "body weight". In some cases there will be a conflict between the placement of types in the Network and the link to be inherited. If this is so, the inheritance of the link is said to be blocked. For example, by inheritance, the type "Mental Process" would be "process of" "Plant". Since plants are not sentient beings, this link is explicitly blocked. In other cases the nature of the relation is such that it should not be inherited by the children of the types that it links. In that case, the relation is defined for the two semantic types it explicitly links, but blocked for all the children of those types. For example, "conceptual part of" links "Body System" and "Fully Formed Anatomical Structure", but it should not link "Body System" to all the children of "Fully Formed Anatomical Structure", such as "Cell" or "Tissue". The relations provided in the Network do not represent all possible relations between semantic types. Rather, they are intended as an initial step in the development of a set that will be useful for retrieval of information from a variety of computerized biomedical databases. Several portions of the MeSH hierarchy have been labelled with child to parent semantic relationships. All of the Anatomy, Diseases, and Psychiatry and Psychology sections have been labelled, as well as a portion of the Biological Sciences section. The `isa" relation and all non-hierarchical relations in the Semantic Network are valid for use in this labelling. The links that are expressed between MeSH terms are, with a few exceptions, reflected in the Semantic Network. That is, if two MeSH terms are linked by a certain relation, then that link is expressed in the Network as a link between the semantic types that have been assigned to those MeSH terms. For example, "Amniotic Fluid", which is a "Body Substance", is a child of "Embryo", which is an "Embryonic Structure". The labelled relationship is "surrounds". Therefore, the link "Body Substance surrounds Embryonic Structure" is represented in the Network. Each concept in the Metathesaurus has been assigned at least one semantic type to reflect its meaning. The notion of "meaning" is relative, first, to the scope and granularity of the Network itself. For example, the concept "Macaca" receives the semantic type " Mammal" because there is not a more specific type "Primate" available in the Network. In all cases, the most specific semantic type available in the hierarchy is assigned to the concept. The variable granularity of the semantic types has important implications for interpreting the meaning (i.e., semantic type) that has been assigned to a Metathesaurus concept. For example, a sub-tree under the node "Physical Object" is "Manufactured Object". It has only two child nodes, "Medical Device" and "Research Device". It is obvious that there are manufactured objects other than medical devices and research devices. Rather than proliferate the number of semantic types to encompass multiple additional subcategories for these objects, concepts that are neither medical devices nor research devices are simply assigned the more general semantic type "Manufactured Object". Second, the notion of meaning is relative to the source vocabulary. The Metathesaurus consists of terms from its controlled source vocabularies. The meaning of each term is defined by its source, explicitly by definition or annotation; by context (its place in a hierarchy); by synonyms and other stated relationships between terms; and also by its usage in description, classification, or indexing. Differences between the 1995 and 1996 Experimental Editions: The 1996 edition of the Semantic Network has two new semantic types, "Receptors" and "Neoplastic Process". One new relationship, "analyzes", has been added to the Network. The UMLS Semantic Network is provided in three formats; a relational table format, a unit record format, and in ASN.1 format. 3.2 Semantic Network ASCII Relational Format There are two basic tables, two ancillary tables, and two book-keeping tables included in this format. The two basic tables contain exactly the same information as the unit record file, but the information is presented somewhat differently. One table contains definitional information about the semantic types and relations; the other contains information about the structure of the Network. Each semantic type and each relation has been assigned a 4 character unique identifier (UI). These are of the form "T001", "T002", etc. The ancillary tables are expansions of the table that contains the Network structure. They give the fully inherited set of links represented in the Network. The first table is expressed as triples of UI"s. The second is expressed as triples of names. The two book-keeping tables describe the relational files and their fields. Fields in all tables are separated by a "|". All tables are listed and described below: SRDEF Basic information about the Semantic Types and Relations. SRSTR Structure of the Network. SRSTRE1 Fully inherited set of Relations (UIs). SRSTRE2 Fully inherited set of Relations (names). SRFIL Description of each table. SRFLD Description of each field and the table(s) in which it is found. Specific Descriptions of each Table: Table: SRDEF RT: Record Type (STY = Semantic Type or RL = Relation). UI: Unique Identifier of the Semantic Type or Relation. STY/RL: Name of the Semantic Type or Relation. STN/RTN: Tree Number of the Semantic Type or Relation. DEF: Definition of the Semantic Type or Relation. EX: Examples of Metathesaurus concepts with this Semantic Type (STY records only). UN: Usage note for Semantic Type assignment (STY records only). NH: The Semantic Type and its descendants allow the non-human flag (STY records only). ABR: Abbreviation of the Relation Name (RL records only). RIN: Inverse of the Relation (RL records only). Table: SRSTR STY/RL: Argument 1 (Name of a Semantic Type or Relation). RL: Relation ("isa" or the name of a non-hierarchical Relation). STY/RL: Argument 2 (Name of a Semantic Type or Relation); if this field is blank this means that the Semantic Type or Relation is one of the top nodes of the Network. LS: Link Status (D = Defined for the Arguments and its children; B = Blocked; DNI = Defined but Not Inherited by the children of the Arguments). N.B.: The relations expressed in this table are binary relations and the arguments are ordered pairs. The relations are stated only for the top-most node of the "isa" hierarchy of the Semantic Types to which they may apply. Table: SRSTRE1 or SRSTRE2 UI/STY: Argument 1 (UI or name of a Semantic Type). UI/RL: Relation (UI or name of a non-hierarchical Relation). UI/STY: Argument 2 (UI or name of a Semantic Type). N.B.: The relations expressed in this table are binary relations and the arguments are ordered pairs. All relations have been fully inherited in this table. Table: SRFIL FIL: File Name. DES: Description of the file. FMT: Format of the file (fields in a comma-separated list). CLS: Number of columns in the file. RWS: Number of rows in the file. BTS: Number of bytes in the file. Table: SRFLD COL: Field name. DES: Description of the field. REF: Cross-reference to the documentation. FIL: File name(s) in which the field is found. 3.3 Semantic Network ASCII Unit Record Format The file "SU" contains individual records for both semantic types and relations. Each record begins with a unique identifier field (UI) which contains the 4 character UI. These are of the form "T001", "T002", etc. Each field in a record begins on a new line and may continue over several lines. Some fields are optional. Semantic Type records contain the following fields: UI: Unique Identifier of the Semantic Type. STY: Name of the Semantic Type. STN: Tree Number of the Semantic Type. DEF: Definition of the Semantic Type. EX: Examples of Metathesaurus concepts with this Semantic Type (optional field). UN: Usage note for Semantic Type assignment (optional field). NH: Semantic Type and its descendants allow the non-human flag (optional field). HL: Hierarchical links of the Semantic Type to its parent({isa}) and its children ({inverse_isa}). If there are no hierarchical links, then the value is assigned. Relation records contain the following fields: UI: Unique Identifier of the Relation. RL: Name of the Relation. ABR: Abbreviation of the Relation. RIN: Name of the inverse of the Relation. RTN: Tree Number of the Relation. DEF: Definition of the Relation. INH: "N" if the relation is not inherited (optional field). HL: Hierarchical links of the Relation to its parent ({isa}) and its children ({inverse_isa}). If there are no hierarchical links, then the value is assigned. STL: Semantic Types linked by this Relation. N.B.: These are binary relations and the arguments are ordered pairs. The relations are stated only for the top-most node of the "isa" hierarchy of the Semantic Types to which they may apply. This field does not appear in the "isa" relation record since its values can be computed from the "HL" field. If there are no semantic types linked by this Relation, then the value is assigned. STLB: Semantic Types linked by this Relation are blocked (optional field). 3.4 ASN.1 Format All four Knowledge Sources have been released in the ASN.1 (Abstract Syntax Notation One) format. ASN.1 provides a consistent description of the data in the Knowledge Sources, and it provides a grammar of the data so that it is possible to validate the data, uncovering any inconsistencies in the process. Further, ASN.1 is used within the Z39.50 protocol, an emerging standard for information retrieval applications. The ASN.1 standard comprises two ISO international standards, one that specifies the basic language and another one that specifies the basic encoding rules for transmitting data in ASN.1 format. The Basic Encoding Rules were designed to minimize data size at the possible expense of encoding and decoding time and CPU cycles. There is an effort to develop certain extensions to the Basic Encoding Rules, and these may address efficiency issues as well as issues of data security. An ASN.1 specification is built by using a set of predefined types such as integers, sets, sequences, strings, and the boolean values true and false. New types are defined using these building blocks, allowing the description of an arbitrarily complex set of data. In the following a partial specification and an example are given. See Appendix C for a fuller description of the ASN.1 format. ============================================================================== A piece of the Semantic Network's ASN.1 Specification ============================================================================== UMLS-semantic-type ::= SEQUENCE { tui VisibleString OPTIONAL, name Semantic-type-name OPTIONAL, non-human-flag BOOLEAN OPTIONAL, tree-number VisibleString OPTIONAL, def VisibleString OPTIONAL, examples VisibleString OPTIONAL, usage-note VisibleString OPTIONAL, hierarchical-links SET OF Network-link OPTIONAL } ============================================================================== ASN.1 Text Formatted Semantic Type "disease or syndrome" ============================================================================== umls-s-types { { tui "T047" , name disease or syndrome , tree-number "B2.2.1.2.1" , def "A condition which alters or interferes with a normal process, state, or activity of an organism. It is usually characterized by the abnormal functioning of one or more of the host's systems, parts, or organs. Included here is a complex of symptoms descriptive of a disorder." examples "Diabetes Mellitus; Brain Neoplasms; Nephrotic Syndrome; Dumping Syndrome; Malabsorption Syndromes" usage-note "Any specific disease or syndrome that is modified by such modifiers as "acute", "prolonged", etc. will also be assigned to this type. If an anatomic abnormality has a pathologic manifestation, then it will be given this type as well as a type from the 'Anatomical Abnormality' hierarchy, e.g., "Diabetic Cataract" will be double-typed for this reason." hierarchical-links { { type-or-rel1 semantic-type { name disease or syndrome } , relation { name conceptually-related-to } , type-or-rel2 semantic-type { name experimental-model-of-disease , } } , { type-or-rel1 semantic-type { name disease or syndrome } , relation { name isa } , type-or-rel2 semantic-type { name pathologic-function} } , { type-or-rel1 semantic-type { name disease or syndrome} , relation { name produces } , type-or-rel2 semantic-type { name tissue} } } } } 3.5 Hierarchies and Definitions for Semantic Types and Relations 1996 UMLS Semantic Types A. Entity 1. Physical Object 1. Organism 1. Plant 1. Alga 2. Fungus 3. Virus 4. Rickettsia or Chlamydia 5. Bacterium 6. Animal 1. Invertebrate 2. Vertebrate 1. Amphibian 2. Bird 3. Fish 4. Reptile 5. Mammal 1. Human 2. Anatomical Structure 1. Embryonic Structure 2. Anatomical Abnormality 1. Congenital Abnormality 2. Acquired Abnormality 3. Fully Formed Anatomical Structure 1. Body Part, Organ, or Organ Component 2. Tissue 3. Cell 4. Cell Component 5. Gene or Genome 3. Manufactured Object 1. Medical Device 2. Research Device 4. Substance 1. Chemical 1. Chemical Viewed Functionally 1. Pharmacologic Substance 2. Biomedical or Dental Material 3. Biologically Active Substance 1. Neuroreactive Substance or Biogenic Amine 2. Hormone 3. Enzyme 4. Vitamin 5. Prostaglandin 6. Immunologic Factor 7. Receptor 4. Indicator or Reagent 5. Hazardous or Poisonous Substance 2. Chemical Viewed Structurally 1. Organic Chemical 1. Steroid 2. Eicosanoid 3. Lactam 4. Alkaloid 5. Nucleic Acid, Nucleoside, or Nucleotide 6. Organophosphorus Compound 7. Amino Acid, Peptide, or Protein 8. Carbohydrate 9. Lipid 2. Inorganic Chemical 1. Element or Ion 2. Isotope 3. Inorganic Compound 2. Body Substance 3. Food 2. Conceptual Entity 1. Idea or Concept 1. Temporal Concept 2. Qualitative Concept 3. Quantitative Concept 4. Functional Concept 1. Body System 5. Spatial Concept 1. Body Space or Junction 2. Body Location or Region 3. Molecular Sequence 1. Nucleotide Sequence 2. Amino Acid Sequence 3. Carbohydrate Sequence 4. Geographic Area 2. Finding 1. Laboratory or Test Result 2. Sign or Symptom 3. Organism Attribute 4. Intellectual Product 1. Classification 2. Regulation or Law 5. Language 6. Occupation or Discipline 1. Biomedical Occupation or Discipline 7. Organization 1. Health Care Related Organization 2. Professional Society 3. Self-help or Relief Organization 8. Group Attribute 9. Group 1. Professional or Occupational Group 2. Population Group 3. Family Group 4. Age Group 5. Patient or Disabled Group B. Event 1. Activity 1. Behavior 1. Social Behavior 2. Individual Behavior 2. Daily or Recreational Activity 3. Occupational Activity 1. Health Care Activity 1. Laboratory Procedure 2. Diagnostic Procedure 3. Therapeutic or Preventive Procedure 2. Research Activity 1. Molecular Biology Research Technique 3. Governmental or Regulatory Activity 4. Educational Activity 4. Machine Activity 2. Phenomenon or Process 1. Human-caused Phenomenon or Process 1. Environmental Effect of Humans 2. Natural Phenomenon or Process 1. Biologic Function 1. Physiologic Function 1. Organism Function 1. Mental Process 2. Organ or Tissue Function 3. Cell Function 4. Molecular Function 1. Genetic Function 2. Pathologic Function 1. Disease or Syndrome 1. Mental or Behavioral Dysfunction 2. Neoplastic Process 2. Cell or Molecular Dysfunction 3. Experimental Model of Disease 3. Injury or Poisoning 1996 UMLS Semantic Network Relationships H. isa R. associated_with 1. physically_related_to 1. part_of 2. consists_of 3. contains 4. connected_to 5. interconnects 2. spatially_related_to 1. location_of 2. adjacent_to 3. surrounds 4. traverses 3. functionally_related_to 1. affects 1. manages 2. treats 3. disrupts 4. complicates 5. interacts_with 6. prevents 2. brings_about 1. produces 2. causes 3. performs 1. carries_out 2. exhibits 3. practices 4. occurs_in 1. process_of 5. uses 6. manifestation_of 7. indicates 8. result_of 4. temporally_related_to 1. co-occurs_with 2. precedes 5. conceptually_related_to 1. evaluation_of 2. degree_of 3. analyzes 1. assesses_effect_of 4. measurement_of 5. measures 6. diagnoses 7. property_of 8. derivative_of 9. developmental_form_of 10. method_of 11. conceptual_part_of 12. issue_in STY: Acquired Abnormality DEF: An abnormal structure, or one that is abnormal in size or location, found in or deriving from a previously normal structure. Acquired abnormalities are distinguished from diseases even though they may result in pathological functioning (e.g., "hernias incarcerate"). STY: Activity DEF: An operation or series of operations that an organism or machine carries out or participates in. STY: Age Group DEF: An individual or individuals classified according to their age. STY: Alga DEF: A chiefly aquatic plant that contains chlorophyll, but does not form embryos during development and lacks vascular tissue. STY: Alkaloid DEF: A basic, nitrogen-containing compound of plant origin. Included here are aporphines, cinchona, curare, ergot, opium, belladonna, rauwolfia, and vinca alkaloids, among others. STY: Amino Acid Sequence DEF: The sequence of amino acids as arrayed in chains, sheets, etc., within the protein molecule. It is of fundamental importance in determining protein structure. STY: Amino Acid, Peptide, or Protein DEF: Amino acids and chains of amino acids connected by peptide linkages. STY: Amphibian DEF: A cold-blooded, smooth-skinned vertebrate which characteristically hatches as an aquatic larva, breathing by gills. When mature, the amphibian breathes with lungs. STY: Anatomical Abnormality DEF: An abnormal structure, or one that is abnormal in size or location. STY: Anatomical Structure DEF: A normal or pathological part of the anatomy or structural organization of an organism. STY: Animal DEF: An organism with eukaryotic cells, and lacking stiff cell walls, plastids and photosynthetic pigments. STY: Bacterium DEF: A small, typically one-celled, prokaryotic micro-organism. STY: Behavior DEF: Any of the psycho-social activities of humans or animals that can be observed directly by others or can be made systematically observable by the use of special strategies. STY: Biologic Function DEF: A state, activity or process of the body or one of its systems or parts. STY: Biologically Active Substance DEF: A generally endogenous substance produced or required by an organism, of primary interest because of its role in the biologic functioning of the organism that produces it. STY: Biomedical Occupation or Discipline DEF: A vocation, academic discipline, or field of study related to biomedicine. STY: Biomedical or Dental Material DEF: A substance used in biomedicine or dentistry predominantly for its physical, as opposed to chemical, properties. Included here are biocompatible materials, tissue adhesives, bone cements, resins, etc. STY: Bird DEF: A vertebrate having a constant body temperature and characterized by the presence of feathers. STY: Body Location or Region DEF: An area, subdivision, or region of the body demarcated for the purpose of topographical description. STY: Body Part, Organ, or Organ Component DEF: A collection of cells and tissues which are localized to a specific area or combine and carry out one or more specialized functions of an organism. This ranges from gross structures to small components of complex organs. These structures are relatively localized in comparison to tissues. STY: Body Space or Junction DEF: An area enclosed or surrounded by body parts or organs or the place where two anatomical structures meet or connect. STY: Body Substance DEF: Extracellular material, or mixtures of cells and extracellular material, produced, excreted, or accreted by the body. Included here are substances such as saliva, dental enamel, sweat, and gastric acid. STY: Body System DEF: A complex of anatomical structures that performs a common function. STY: Carbohydrate Sequence DEF: The sequence of carbohydrates within polysaccharides, glycoproteins, and glycolipids. STY: Carbohydrate DEF: A compound consisting of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in which the hydrogen/oxygen ratio is the same as in water, and in which repeating units are joined through oxygen linkages. Carbohydrates are generally characterized as sugars and include mono-, di-, oligo-, and polysaccharides, glycosides, glycans, and starches. Included here are sugar phosphates. Excluded are glycolipids. STY: Cell DEF: The fundamental structural and functional unit of living organisms. STY: Cell Component DEF: A part of a cell or the intercellular matrix, generally visible by light microscopy. STY: Cell Function DEF: A physiologic function inherent to cells or cell components. STY: Cell or Molecular Dysfunction DEF: A pathologic function inherent to cells, parts of cells, or molecules. STY: Chemical DEF: Chemicals are viewed from two distinct perspectives in the network, functionally and structurally. Almost every chemical concept is assigned at least two types, generally one from the structure hierarchy and at least one from the function hierarchy. STY: Chemical Viewed Functionally DEF: A chemical viewed from the perspective of its functional characteristics or pharmacological activities. STY: Chemical Viewed Structurally DEF: A chemical viewed from the perspective of its structural characteristics. Included here are concepts which can mean either a salt, an ion, or a compound (e.g., "Bromates" and "Bromides"). STY: Classification DEF: A term or system of terms denoting an arrangement by class or category. STY: Conceptual Entity DEF: A broad type for grouping abstract entities or concepts. STY: Congenital Abnormality DEF: An abnormal structure, or one that is abnormal in size or location, present at birth or evolving over time as a result of a defect in embryogenesis. STY: Daily or Recreational Activity DEF: An activity carried out for recreation or exercise, or as part of daily life. STY: Diagnostic Procedure DEF: A procedure, method, or technique used to determine the nature or identity of a disease or disorder. This excludes procedures which are primarily carried out on specimens in a laboratory. STY: Disease or Syndrome DEF: A condition which alters or interferes with a normal process, state, or activity of an organism. It is usually characterized by the abnormal functioning of one or more of the host's systems, parts, or organs. Included here is a complex of symptoms descriptive of a disorder. STY: Educational Activity DEF: An activity related to the organization and provision of education. STY: Eicosanoid DEF: A compound structurally related to arachidonic acid. Included here are arachidonic acid, eicosanoic acid, and saturated or unsaturated derivatives of each. STY: Element or Ion DEF: One of the 109 presently known kinds of substance that comprise all matter at and above the atomic level. This includes elemental metals, rare gases, and naturally occurring radioactive elements, as well as the ionic counterparts of elements. This does not include the less abundant isotopic forms, for which the type 'Isotope' is assigned. STY: Embryonic Structure DEF: An anatomical structure that exists only before the organism is fully formed; in mammals, for example, a structure that exists only prior to the birth of the organism. This structure may be normal or abnormal. STY: Entity DEF: A broad type for grouping physical and conceptual entities. STY: Environmental Effect of Humans DEF: A change in the natural environment that is a result of the activities of human beings. STY: Enzyme DEF: A complex chemical, usually a protein, that is produced by living cells and which catalyzes specific biochemical reactions. There are six main types of enzymes, oxidoreductases, transferases, hydrolases, lyases, isomerases, and ligases. STY: Event DEF: A broad type for grouping activities, processes and states. STY: Experimental Model of Disease DEF: A representation in a non-human organism of a human disease for the purpose of research into its mechanism or treatment. STY: Family Group DEF: An individual or individuals classified according to their family relationships or relative position in the family unit. STY: Finding DEF: That which is discovered by direct observation or measurement of an organism attribute or condition, including the clinical history of the patient. The history of the presence of a disease is a 'Finding' and is distinguished from the disease itself. STY: Fish DEF: A cold-blooded aquatic vertebrate characterized by fins and breathing by gills. Included here are fishes having either a bony skeleton, such as a perch, or a cartilaginous skeleton, such as a shark, or those lacking a jaw, such as a lamprey or hagfish. STY: Food DEF: Any substance containing nutrients, such as carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, that can be ingested by a living organism and metabolized into energy and body tissue. Some foods are naturally occurring, others are either partially or entirely made by humans. STY: Fully Formed Anatomical Structure DEF: An anatomical structure in a fully formed organism; in mammals, for example, a structure in the body after the birth of the organism. STY: Functional Concept DEF: A concept which is of interest because it pertains to the carrying out of a process or activity. STY: Fungus DEF: A eukaryotic organism characterized by the absence of chlorophyll and the presence of a rigid cell wall. Included here are both slime molds and true fungi such as yeasts, molds, mildews, and mushrooms. STY: Gene or Genome DEF: A specific sequence, or in the case of the genome the complete sequence, of nucleotides along a molecule of DNA or RNA (in the case of some viruses) which represent the functional units of heredity. STY: Genetic Function DEF: Functions of or related to the maintenance, translation or expression of the genetic material. STY: Geographic Area DEF: A geographic location, generally having definite boundaries. STY: Governmental or Regulatory Activity DEF: An activity carried out by officially constituted governments, or an activity related to the creation or enforcement of the rules or regulations governing some field of endeavor. STY: Group DEF: A conceptual entity referring to the classification of individuals according to certain shared characteristics. STY: Group Attribute DEF: A conceptual entity which refers to the frequency or distribution of certain characteristics or phenomena in certain groups. STY: Hazardous or Poisonous Substance DEF: A substance of concern because of its potentially hazardous or toxic effects. This would include most drugs of abuse, as well as agents that require special handling because of their toxicity. STY: Health Care Activity DEF: An activity of or relating to the practice of medicine or involving the care of patients. STY: Health Care Related Organization DEF: An established organization which carries out specific functions related to health care delivery or research in the life sciences. STY: Hormone DEF: In animals, a chemical usually secreted by an endocrine gland whose products are released into the circulating fluid. Hormones act as chemical messengers and regulate various physiologic processes such as growth, reproduction, metabolism, etc. They usually fall into two broad classes, steroid hormones and peptide hormones. STY: Human DEF: Modern man, the only remaining species of the Homo genus. STY: Human-caused Phenomenon or Process DEF: A phenomenon or process that is a result of the activities of human beings. STY: Idea or Concept DEF: An abstract concept, such as a social, religious or philosophical concept. STY: Immunologic Factor DEF: A biologically active substance whose activities affect or play a role in the functioning of the immune system. STY: Indicator or Reagent DEF: A substance primarily of interest for its use in laboratory or diagnostic tests and procedures to detect, measure, examine, or analyze other chemicals, processes, or conditions. STY: Individual Behavior DEF: Behavior exhibited by a human or an animal that is not a direct result of interaction with other members of the species, but which may have an effect on others. STY: Injury or Poisoning DEF: A traumatic wound, injury, or poisoning caused by an external agent or force. STY: Inorganic Chemical DEF: The general class of substances including the elements, their ionic and isotopic counterparts, and any chemical compound whose molecules are bound together ionically rather than covalently. This includes all compounds which do not contain carbon as a principal component. STY: Inorganic Compound DEF: A single compound, generally with ionic bonding, not containing carbon as a principal component (except carbides, carbonates, cyanides, cyanates, and carbon disulfide). The bonding between elements in inorganic compounds is generally ionic. Included here are inorganic acids and salts, alloys, alkalies, and minerals. STY: Intellectual Product DEF: A conceptual entity resulting from human endeavor. Concepts assigned to this type generally refer to information created by humans for some purpose. STY: Invertebrate DEF: An animal which has no spinal column. STY: Isotope DEF: A form of element having the same atomic number (i.e., the same number of protons), but differing in atomic weight or mass due to the presence of one or more additional neutrons. Included here are both stable and radioactive isotopes. STY: Laboratory Procedure DEF: A procedure, method, or technique used to determine the composition, quantity, or concentration of a specimen, and which is carried out in a clinical laboratory. Included here are procedures which measure the times and rates of reactions. STY: Laboratory or Test Result DEF: The outcome of a specific test to measure an attribute or to determine the presence, absence, or degree of a condition. STY: Lactam DEF: A cyclic amide, usually with 4- or 5-membered rings that may or may not be fused to other rings, as in compounds structurally related to the penicillins and cephalosporins. STY: Language DEF: The system of communication used by a particular nation or people. STY: Lipid DEF: A fat or fat-derived substance, such as fatty acids, fatty alcohols, and waxes. Included here are glyco- and phospholipids. STY: Machine Activity DEF: An activity carried out primarily or exclusively by machines. STY: Mammal DEF: A vertebrate having a constant body temperature and characterized by the presence of hair, mammary glands and sweat glands. STY: Manufactured Object DEF: A physical object made by human beings. STY: Medical Device DEF: A manufactured object used primarily in the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of physiologic or anatomic disorders. STY: Mental or Behavioral Dysfunction DEF: A clinically significant dysfunction whose major manifestation is behavioral or psychological. These dysfunctions may have identified or presumed biological etiologies or manifestations. STY: Mental Process DEF: A physiologic function involving the mind or cognitive processing. STY: Molecular Biology Research Technique DEF: Any of the techniques used in the study of or the directed modification of the gene complement of a living organism. STY: Molecular Function DEF: A physiologic function occurring at the molecular level. STY: Molecular Sequence DEF: A broad type for grouping the collected sequences of amino acids, carbohydrates, and nucleotide sequences. Descriptions of these sequences are generally reported in the published literature and/or are deposited in and maintained by databanks such as GenBank, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), National Biomedical Research Foundation (NBRF), or other sequence repositories. STY: Natural Phenomenon or Process DEF: A phenomenon or process that occurs irrespective of the activities of human beings. STY: Neoplastic Process DEF: A new and abnormal growth of tissue in which the growth is uncontrolled and progressive. The growths may be malignant or benign. STY: Neuroreactive Substance or Biogenic Amine DEF: An endogenous biologically active substance whose activities affect or play a role in the functioning of the nervous system. Included here are catecholamines, neuroregulators, neurophysins, etc. STY: Nucleic Acid, Nucleoside, or Nucleotide DEF: A complex compound of high molecular weight occurring in living cells. These are basically of two types, ribonucleic (RNA) and deoxyribo-nucleic (DNA) acids, both of which consist of nucleotides (nucleoside phosphates linked together by phosphate bridges). STY: Nucleotide Sequence DEF: The sequence of purines and pyrimidines in nucleic acids and polynucleotides. Included here are nucleotide-rich regions, conserved sequence, and DNA transforming region. STY: Occupation or Discipline DEF: A vocation, academic discipline, or field of study, or a subpart of an occupation or discipline. STY: Occupational Activity DEF: An activity carried out as part of an occupation or job. STY: Organ or Tissue Function DEF: A physiologic function of a particular organ, organ system, or tissue. STY: Organic Chemical DEF: The general class of carbon-containing compounds, usually based on carbon chains or rings, and also containing hydrogen (hydrocarbons), with or without nitrogen, oxygen, or other elements. The bonding between elements is generally covalent. STY: Organism DEF: Generally, a living individual, including all plants and animals. STY: Organism Attribute DEF: A property of the organism or its major parts. STY: Organism Function DEF: A physiologic function of the organism as a whole, of multiple organ systems, or of multiple organs or tissues. STY: Organization DEF: The result of uniting for a common purpose or function. The continued existence of an organization is not dependent on any of its members, its location, or particular facility. Components or subparts of organizations are also included here. Although the names of organizations are sometimes used to refer to the buildings in which they reside, they are not inherently physical in nature. STY: Organophosphorus Compound DEF: An organic compound containing phosphorus as a constituent. Included here are organic phosphinic, phosphonic and phosphoric acid derivatives and their thiophosphorus counterparts. Excluded are phospholipids and sugar phosphates. STY: Pathologic Function DEF: A disordered process, activity, or state of the organism as a whole, of a body system or systems, or of multiple organs or tissues. Included here are normal responses to a negative stimulus as well as patholologic conditions or states that are less specific than a disease. Pathologic functions frequently have systemic effects. STY: Patient or Disabled Group DEF: An individual or individuals classified according to a disability, disease, condition or treatment. STY: Pharmacologic Substance DEF: A substance used in the treatment, diagnosis, prevention, or analysis of normal and abnormal body function. This includes substances that occur naturally in the body and are administered therapeutically. STY: Phenomenon or Process DEF: A process or state which occurs naturally or as a result of an activity. STY: Physical Object DEF: An object perceptible to the sense of vision or touch. STY: Physiologic Function DEF: A normal process, activity, or state of the body. STY: Plant DEF: An organism having cellulose cell walls, growing by synthesis of inorganic substances, generally distinguished by the presence of chlorophyll, and lacking the power of locomotion. Plant parts are included here as well. STY: Population Group DEF: An indivdual or individuals classified according to their sex, racial origin, religion, common place of living, financial or social status, or some other cultural or behavioral attribute. STY: Professional Society DEF: An organization uniting those who have a common vocation or who are involved with a common field of study. STY: Professional or Occupational Group DEF: An individual or individuals classified according to their vocation. STY: Prostaglandin DEF: A member of the group of physiologically active compounds derived from arachidonic acid. Members of the group play major roles in the reproductive process, smooth muscle stimulation, blood pressure levels, inflammation, etc. Included here are prostacyclins, thromboxanes, and leukotrienes. STY: Qualitative Concept DEF: A concept which is an assessment of some quality, rather than a direct measurement. STY: Quantitative Concept DEF: A concept which involves the dimensions, quantity or capacity of something using some unit of measure, or which involves the quantitative comparison of entities. STY: Receptor DEF: A specific molecule on the surface or within the cytoplasm of a cell that recognizes and binds with other specific molecules, as the chemical group on the surface of an immunocompetent cell that binds with antigen, or the cell molecules that bind with hormone or neurotransmitter molecules and react with other molecules that respond in a specific way. STY: Regulation or Law DEF: An intellectual product resulting from legislative or regulatory activity. STY: Reptile DEF: A cold-blooded vertebrate having an external covering of scales or horny plates. Reptiles breathe by means of lungs and are generally egg-laying. STY: Research Activity DEF: An activity carried out as part of research or experimentation. STY: Research Device DEF: A manufactured object used primarily in carrying out scientific research or experimentation. STY: Rickettsia or Chlamydia DEF: An organism intermediate in size and complexity between a virus and a bacterium, and which is parasitic within the cells of insects and ticks. Included here are all the chlamydias, also called "PLT" for psittacosis- lymphogranuloma venereum-trachoma. STY: Self-help or Relief Organization DEF: An organization whose purpose and function is to provide assistance to the needy or to offer support to those sharing similar problems. STY: Sign or Symptom DEF: An observable manifestation of a disease or condition based on clinical judgment, or a manifestation of a disease or condition which is experienced by the patient and reported as a subjective observation. STY: Social Behavior DEF: Behavior that is a direct result or function of the interaction of humans or animals with their fellows. This includes behavior that may be considered anti-social. STY: Spatial Concept DEF: A location, region, or space, generally having definite boundaries. STY: Steroid DEF: One of a group of polycyclic, 17-carbon-atom, fused-ring compounds occurring both in natural and synthetic forms. Included here are naturally occurring and synthetic steroids, bufanolides, cardanolides, homosteroids, norsteroids, and secosteroids. STY: Substance DEF: A material with definite or fairly definite chemical composition. STY: Temporal Concept DEF: A concept which pertains to time or duration. STY: Therapeutic or Preventive Procedure DEF: A procedure, method, or technique designed to prevent a disease or a disorder, or to improve physical function, or used in the process of treating a disease or injury. STY: Tissue DEF: An aggregation of similarly specialized cells and the associated intercellular substance. Tissues are relatively non-localized in comparison to body parts, organs or organ components. STY: Vertebrate DEF: An animal which has a spinal column. STY: Virus DEF: An organism consisting of a core of a single nucleic acid enclosed in a protective coat of protein. A virus may replicate only inside a host living cell. A virus exhibits some but not all of the usual characteristics of living things. STY: Vitamin DEF: A substance, usually an organic chemical complex, present in natural products or made synthetically, which is essential in the diet of man or other higher animals. Included here are vitamin precursors and provitamins. RL: adjacent_to RIN: adjacent_to DEF: Close to, near or abutting another physical unit with no other structure of the same kind intervening. This includes adjoins, abuts, is contiguous to, is juxtaposed, and is close to. RL: affects RIN: affected_by DEF: Produces a direct effect on. Implied here is the altering or influencing of an existing condition, state, situation, or entity. This includes has a role in, alters, influences, predisposes, catalyzes, stimulates, regulates, depresses, impedes, enhances, contributes to, leads to, and modifies. RL: analyzes RIN: analyzed_by DEF: Studies or examines using established quantitative or qualitative methods. RL: assesses_effect_of RIN: assessed_for_effect_by DEF: Analyzes the influence or consequences of the function or action of. RL: associated_with RIN: associated_with DEF: has a significant or salient relationship to. RL: carries_out RIN: carried_out_by DEF: Executes a function or performs a procedure or activity. This includes transacts, operates on, handles, and executes. RL: brings_about RIN: brought_about_by DEF: Acts on or influences an entity. RL: causes RIN: caused_by DEF: Brings about a condition or an effect. Implied here is that an agent, such as for example, a pharmacologic substance or an organism, has brought about the effect. This includes induces, effects, evokes, and etiology. RL: co-occurs_with RIN: co-occurs_with DEF: Occurs at the same time as, together with, or jointly. This includes is co-incident with, is concurrent with, is contemporaneous with, accompanies, coexists with, and is concomitant with. RL: complicates RIN: complicated_by DEF: Causes to become more severe or complex or results in adverse effects. RL: conceptual_part_of RIN: has_conceptual_part DEF: Conceptually a portion, division, or component of some larger whole. RL: conceptually_related_to RIN: conceptually_related_to DEF: Related by some abstract concept, thought, or idea. RL: connected_to RIN: connected_to DEF: Directly attached to another physical unit as tendons are connected to muscles. This includes attached to and anchored to. RL: consists_of RIN: constitutes DEF: Is structurally made up of in whole or in part of some material or matter. This includes composed of, made of, and formed of. RL: contains RIN: contained_in DEF: Holds or is the receptacle for fluids or other substances. This includes is filled with, holds, and is occupied by. RL: degree_of RIN: has_degree DEF: The relative intensity of a process or the relative intensity or amount of a quality or attribute. RL: derivative_of RIN: has_derivative DEF: In chemistry, a substance structurally related to another or that can be made from the other substance. This is used only for structural relationships. This does not include functional relationships such as metabolite of, by product of, nor analog of. RL: developmental_form_of RIN: has_developmental_form DEF: An earlier stage in the individual maturation of. RL: diagnoses RIN: diagnosed_by DEF: Distinguishes or identifies the nature or characteristics of. RL: disrupts RIN: disrupted_by DEF: Alters or influences an already existing condition, state, or situation. Produces a negative effect on. RL: evaluation_of RIN: has_evaluation DEF: Judgment of the value or degree of some attribute or process. RL: exhibits RIN: exhibited_by DEF: Shows or demonstrates. RL: functionally_related_to RIN: functionally_related_to DEF: Related by the carrying out of some function or activity. RL: indicates RIN: indicated_by DEF: Gives evidence for the presence at some time of an entity or process. RL: interacts_with RIN: interacts_with DEF: Acts, functions, or operates together with. RL: interconnects RIN: interconnected_by DEF: Serves to link or join together two or more other physical units. This includes joins, links, conjoins, articulates, separates, and bridges. RL: isa RIN: inverse_isa DEF: The basic hierarchical link in the Network. If one item "isa" another item then the first item is more specific in meaning than the second item. RL: issue_in RIN: has_issue DEF: Is an issue in or a point of discussion, study, debate, or dispute. RL: location_of RIN: has_location DEF: The position, site, or region of an entity or the site of a process. RL: manages RIN: managed_by DEF: Administers, or contributes to the care of an individual or group of individuals. RL: manifestation_of RIN: has_manifestation DEF: That part of a phenomenon which is directly observable or concretely or visibly expressed, or which gives evidence to the underlying process. This includes expression of, display of, and exhibition of. RL: measurement_of RIN: has_measurement DEF: The dimension, quantity, or capacity determined by measuring. RL: measures RIN: measured_by DEF: Ascertains or marks the dimensions, quantity, degree, or capacity of. RL: method_of RIN: has_method DEF: The manner and sequence of events in performing an act or procedure. RL: occurs_in RIN: has_occurrence DEF: Takes place in or happens under given conditions, circumstances, or time periods, or in a given location or population. This includes appears in, transpires, comes about, is present in, and exists in. RL: part_of RIN: has_part DEF: Composes, with one or more other physical units, some larger whole. This includes component of, division of, portion of, fragment of, section of, and layer of. RL: performs RIN: performed_by DEF: Executes, accomplishes, or achieves an activity. RL: physically_related_to RIN: physically_related_to DEF: Related by virtue of some physical attribute or characteristic. RL: practices RIN: practiced_by DEF: Performs habitually or customarily. RL: precedes RIN: follows DEF: Occurs earlier in time. This includes antedates, comes before, is in advance of, predates, and is prior to. RL: prevents RIN: prevented_by DEF: Stops, hinders or eliminates an action or condition. RL: process_of RIN: has_process DEF: Action, function, or state of. RL: produces RIN: produced_by DEF: Brings forth, generates or creates. This includes yields, secretes, emits, biosynthesizes, generates, releases, discharges, and creates. RL: property_of RIN: has_property DEF: Characteristic of, or quality of. RL: result_of RIN: has_result DEF: The condition, product, or state occurring as a consequence, effect, or conclusion of an activity or process. This includes product of, effect of, sequel of, outcome of, culmination of, and completion of. RL: spatially_related_to RIN: spatially_related_to DEF: Related by place or region. RL: surrounds RIN: surrounded_by DEF: Establishes the boundaries for, or defines the limits of another physical structure. This includes limits, bounds, confines, encloses, and circumscribes. RL: temporally_related_to RIN: temporally_related_to DEF: Related in time by preceding, co-occuring with, or following. RL: traverses RIN: traversed_by DEF: Crosses or extends across another physical structure or area. This includes crosses over and crosses through. RL: treats RIN: treated_by DEF: Applies a remedy with the object of effecting a cure or managing a condition. RL: uses RIN: used_by DEF: Employs in the carrying out of some activity. This includes applies, utilizes, employs, and avails. 3.6 Sample Records :::::::::::::: SRDEF :::::::::::::: STY|T020|Acquired Abnormality|A1.2.2.2|An abnormal structure, or one that is abnormal in size or location, found in or deriving from a previously normal structure. Acquired abnormalities are distinguished from diseases even though they may result in pathological functioning (e.g., "hernias incarcerate").|Abscess of prostate; Hemorrhoids; Hernia, Femoral; Varicose Veins||||| STY|T052|Activity|B1|An operation or series of operations that an organism or machine carries out or participates in.|Social Planning; Expeditions; Information Distribution; Return Migration|Few concepts will be assigned to this broad type. Wherever possible, one of the more specific types from this hierarchy will be chosen. For concepts assigned to this type, the focus of interest is on the activity. When the focus of interest is the individual or group that is carrying out the activity, then a type from the 'Behavior' hierarchy will be chosen. In general, concepts will not receive a type from both the 'Activity' and the 'Behavior' hierarchies.|||| STY|T100|Age Group|A2.9.4|An individual or individuals classified according to their age.|Adult; Infant, Premature; Adolescents; Aged, 80 and over||||| STY|T003|Alga|A1.1.1.1|A chiefly aquatic plant that contains chlorophyll, but does not form embryos during development and lacks vascular tissue.|Chlorella; Laminaria; Seaweed; Anabaena||||| RL|T173|adjacent_to|R2.2|Close to, near or abutting another physical unit with no other structure of the same kind intervening. This includes adjoins, abuts, is contiguous to, is juxtaposed, and is close to.||||AD|adjacent_to| RL|T151|affects|R3.1|Produces a direct effect on. Implied here is the altering or influencing of an existing condition, state, situation, or entity. This includes has a role in, alters, influences, predisposes, catalyzes, stimulates, regulates, depresses, impedes, enhances, contributes to, leads to, and modifies.||||AF|affected_by| :::::::::::::: SRSTR :::::::::::::: Acquired Abnormality|co-occurs_with|Injury or Poisoning|D| Acquired Abnormality|isa|Anatomical Abnormality|D| Acquired Abnormality|result_of|Behavior|D| Activity|isa|Event|D| Age Group|isa|Group|D| Alga|isa|Plant|D| :::::::::::::: SRSTRE1 :::::::::::::: T020|T186|T190| T020|T186|T017| T020|T186|T072| T052|T186|T051| T052|T165|T090| T052|T165|T091| T100|T186|T096| T100|T186|T077| T100|T186|T071| T003|T186|T002| T003|T186|T001| T003|T186|T072| :::::::::::::: SRSTRE2 :::::::::::::: Acquired Abnormality|isa|Anatomical Abnormality| Acquired Abnormality|isa|Anatomical Structure| Acquired Abnormality|isa|Physical Object| Acquired Abnormality|isa|Entity| Acquired Abnormality|affects|Alga| Acquired Abnormality|affects|Amphibian| Acquired Abnormality|affects|Animal| Acquired Abnormality|affects|Bacterium| Acquired Abnormality|affects|Bird| Acquired Abnormality|affects|Cell Function| Acquired Abnormality|affects|Fish| Acquired Abnormality|affects|Fungus| Acquired Abnormality|affects|Genetic Function| Acquired Abnormality|affects|Human| Acquired Abnormality|affects|Invertebrate| Acquired Abnormality|affects|Mammal| Acquired Abnormality|affects|Mental Process| Acquired Abnormality|affects|Molecular Function| Acquired Abnormality|affects|Organ or Tissue Function| Acquired Abnormality|affects|Organism Function| Acquired Abnormality|affects|Organism| Acquired Abnormality|affects|Physiologic Function| Acquired Abnormality|affects|Plant| Acquired Abnormality|affects|Reptile| Acquired Abnormality|affects|Rickettsia or Chlamydia| Acquired Abnormality|affects|Vertebrate| Acquired Abnormality|affects|Virus| Activity|isa|Event| Age Group|isa|Group| Age Group|isa|Conceptual Entity| Age Group|isa|Entity| Alga|isa|Plant| Alga|isa|Organism| Alga|isa|Physical Object| Alga|isa|Entity| :::::::::::::: SU :::::::::::::: UI: T020 STY: Acquired Abnormality STN: A1.2.2.2 DEF: An abnormal structure, or one that is abnormal in size or location, found in or deriving from a previously normal structure. Acquired abnormalities are distinguished from diseases even though they may result in pathological functioning (e.g., "hernias incarcerate"). EX: Abscess of prostate; Hemorrhoids; Hernia, Femoral; Varicose Veins HL: {isa} Anatomical Abnormality UI: T052 STY: Activity STN: B1 DEF: An operation or series of operations that an organism or machine carries out or participates in. EX: Social Planning; Expeditions; Information Distribution; Return Migration UN: Few concepts will be assigned to this broad type. Wherever possible, one of the more specific types from this hierarchy will be chosen. For concepts assigned to this type, the focus of interest is on the activity. When the focus of interest is the individual or group that is carrying out the activity, then a type from the 'Behavior' hierarchy will be chosen. In general, concepts will not receive a type from both the 'Activity' and the 'Behavior' hierarchies. HL: {isa} Event; {inverse_isa} Behavior; {inverse_isa} Daily or Recreational Activity; {inverse_isa} Occupational Activity; {inverse_isa} Machine Activity UI: T100 STY: Age Group STN: A2.9.4 DEF: An individual or individuals classified according to their age. EX: Adult; Infant, Premature; Adolescents; Aged, 80 and over HL: {isa} Group UI: T003 STY: Alga STN: A1.1.1.1 DEF: A chiefly aquatic plant that contains chlorophyll, but does not form embryos during development and lacks vascular tissue. EX: Chlorella; Laminaria; Seaweed; Anabaena HL: {isa} Plant UI: T173 RL: adjacent_to ABR: AD RIN: adjacent_to RTN: R2.2 DEF: Close to, near or abutting another physical unit with no other structure of the same kind intervening. This includes adjoins, abuts, is contiguous to, is juxtaposed, and is close to. HL: {isa} spatially_related_to STL: [Body Location or Region|Body Location or Region]; [Body Location or Region|Body Part, Organ, or Organ Component]; [Body Location or Region|Body Space or Junction]; [Body Part, Organ, or Organ Component|Body Part, Organ, or Organ Component]; [Body Part, Organ, or Organ Component|Body Space or Junction]; [Body Part, Organ, or Organ Component|Cell]; [Body Part, Organ, or Organ Component|Tissue]; [Body Space or Junction|Body Space or Junction]; [Cell Component|Body Space or Junction]; [Cell Component|Cell Component]; [Cell|Cell]; [Tissue|Body Space or Junction]; [Tissue|Tissue] UI: T151 RL: affects ABR: AF RIN: affected_by RTN: R3.1 DEF: Produces a direct effect on. Implied here is the altering or influencing of an existing condition, state, situation, or entity. This includes has a role in, alters, influences, predisposes, catalyzes, stimulates, regulates, depresses, impedes, enhances, contributes to, leads to, and modifies. HL: {isa} functionally_related_to; {inverse_isa} manages; {inverse_isa} treats; {inverse_isa} disrupts; {inverse_isa} complicates; {inverse_isa} interacts_with; {inverse_isa} prevents STL: [Natural Phenomenon or Process|Natural Phenomenon or Process]; [Anatomical Abnormality|Physiologic Function]; [Biologic Function|Organism]; [Anatomical Abnormality|Organism]; [Health Care Activity|Biologic Function]; [Diagnostic Procedure|Patient or Disabled Group]; [Therapeutic or Preventive Procedure|Patient or Disabled Group]; [Chemical|Natural Phenomenon or Process]; [Gene or Genome|Physiologic Function]; [Cell Component|Physiologic Function]; [Physiologic Function|Organism Attribute]; [Food|Biologic Function]; [Behavior|Behavior]; [Behavior|Mental Process]; [Mental Process|Behavior]; [Mental or Behavioral Dysfunction|Behavior]; [Research Activity|Mental Process]; [Regulation or Law|Group]; [Regulation or Law|Organization]