3. A List Of Common Abbreviations
Description
This article is from the Food Science FAQ, bypking123@sympatico.ca (Paul E. J. King) with numerous contributions by others.
3. A List Of Common Abbreviations
It is not expected that you know and use all of the abbreviations
listed below. This list should be used as a reference in the event you
come across abbreviations that confuse you, or can't remember.
They include names of organisations, scientific abbreviations, and
common chemical symbols, derived largely from the Merck Index.
References given in braces {}. Where {Stryer} appears, refer to
Lubert Stryer's _Biochemistry, _ 2nd Edition (Freeman). Where no
reference appears the shorthand is suggested by the author. For
suggestions and additions email to <pking@idirect.com>. For brevity all
except the most common organic compounds are left out. Also left out are
most of the units of measurement; both metric and Imperial.
Also not included on this list are the generic abbreviations for
the Internet, such as BTW, IMHO, or RTFM. You can get those in
newsgroups of the "news.*" hierarchy, notably news.answers,
news.announce.newusers, and for further help on these and other matters
having strictly to do with the internet, post your queries to:
news.newusers.questions.
ON SUPERSCRIPTS AND SUBSCRIPTS: There has been some concern in the
past on the matter of the transmission of superscripts and subscripts
over the Internet. Since we are all limited to the ASCII character set,
one cannot easily change typeface or fonts in a way that would be
transmittable in the bodies of email messages or news messages. A case
in point is the variable which reports the "heat effect" or
"sterilisation effect" of a thermal process, called F. F is usually
reported in the context of two other variables, z (the change in
temperature needed for a tenfold increase in the amount of bacterial
spores killed), and T (the core temperature of the can). In normal
circumstances, we would write F with z as the superscript and T as the
subscript. If we followed the old conventions used in this FAQ for
reporting F, we would have to write: F^z_T, which appears illegible.
Instead, we suggest a new convention which will make things clear for
everyone. Report your variable with your parameters "spelled out" in
parentheses. For example: F(z=10 degC; T=121.1 degC). Since the ASCII
character set also has no "degree" symbol, these have to be "spelled
out" as well. The abbreviation for "degrees Celsius" was taken from the
list below.
^ Exponent (as in 6.022x10^23, i^(-1/2), e^k)
_ Subscript (as in E_p (potential energy))
/ Fraction (as in 1/2); as below to separate abbreviations
(as in UDP/UMP/UTP); per (as in km/h)
~ Approximately equal to; proportional to
= Equal to
!= Not equal to {C++ programming convention}
== Equivalent {C++ programming convention}
!== Not equivalent
> Greater than
>> Much greater than
< Less than (the Pac Man always eats the larger value :-)
<< Much smaller than
>= Greater than or equal {programming convention}
<= Less than or equal {programming convention}
+/- Plus or minus (note the special use of the slash)
|| Parallel
! Factorial
@ At (as in "500g of lettuce @ $0.45/kilogram")
* or x Multiplication
A Adenine; Adenosine; absorbance (extinction) {Merck}; The
conjugate acid of an acid-base pair
Ac Acetyl; Acetic {Merck}
AcOAc Anhydrous Acetic Acid
AcOH Acetic Acid {Merck}
AcOEt Ethyl Acetate {Merck}
Acetyl CoA Acetyl coenzyme A
AcylSCoA Acyl coenzyme A
ACS American Chemical Society {Merck}
ADP Adenosine diphosphate
AIFST Australian Institute of Food Science & Technology
alc Alcohol(ic); Ethanol; Ethyl Alcohol {Merck}
alk Alkali(ne)
AMP Adenosine Monophosphate
amt(s) Amount(s) {Merck}
aq aqueous
ATCC American Type Culture Collection
atm atmospheres; atmoshperic
ATP Adenosine triphosphate
ATPase Adenosine triphosphatase
AW Atomic weight
Aw Water activity
B Asparagine or aspartic acid {Stryer}; The conjugate base of an
acid-base pair
BBSRC Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (UK)
bp Base pair; boiling point; boils; boils at; boiling
at <temp> {Merck}
BP British Pharmacopeia {Merck}
BPC British Pharmaceutical Codex {Merck}
BOD Biochemical oxygen demand {Merck}
BSA Bovine Serum Albumin
BSE Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
Btu British thermal units
Bu Butyl
cal Calorie(s)
calc Calculate(d) {Merck}
cAMP Cyclic AMP
cc Cubic centimeter (milliliter)
CDP Cytidine 5'-diphosphate
cf Compare (confer) {Merck}
cGMP Cyclic GMP
CHO Carbohydrate
CI Color Index (British) {Merck}
Ci Curie {Merck}
CIFST Canadian Institute of Food Science & Technology
CMC Carboxymethylcellulose {cf Merck: CM-cellulose}
CMP Cytidine 5'-monophosphate
CNS Central Nervous system
CoA/CoASH Coenzyme A
Conc Concentrated; Concentration {cf Merck: concn}
Cp Heat capacity, constant pressure
CP Chemically pure {Merck}
cpd Compound; critical-point drying
CTP Cytidine 5'-triphosphate
Cv Heat capacity, constant volume
d Density {Merck}
d- dextrorotatory {Merck}
D12 12th Decimal Reduction
deg Degree(s)
degC Degrees Celcius
degF Degrees Fahrenheit
degK degrees Kelvin
degR degrees Roentgen
deriv Derivative
DFO Department of Fisheries and Oceans (Canada)
dil Dilute(d) {Merck}
DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid
DNAase Deoxyribonuclease
DMSO Dimethylsulfoxide
dp Degree of polymerisation
ds Double stranded
E Glutamic Acid {Stryer}; Exponent (as in 6.022 x 10E23)(see also
the entry for ^ )
(E)- Entgen (German for opposite) in naming cpds
ECSAFoST East, Central and Southern African Federation of Food
Science & Technology
ed Edition {Merck}; editor
eds Editors {Merck}; editions
ED Effective dose
EDTA Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. Also: Edathamil; Havidote;
Edetic acid; and Versene Acid. {Merck}
EFFST European Federation for Food Science & Technology
eg For example (exempli gratia) {Merck}
ELISA Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
EPA Environmental Protection Agency (of the United States)
eq/eqn Equation {Merck}
equilib Equilibrium {Merck}
equiv Equivalent
Et- Ethyl
et al And others (et alii) {Merck}
EtOH Ethanol; Ethyl Alcohol
evap Evaporated; evaporation {cf. Merck: evapn}
EU European Union (was the European Common Market)
F The Sterilisation Effect (see notes above on scripting)
FAC Food Advisory Committee (of the United Kingdom)
FAO Food and Agriculture Organisation (of the United Nations)
FAQ Frequently-asked question file (this file)
fd Freeze-dried; Freeze-drying
FDA Food and Drug Administration (of the US; also USFDA)
FD&C The US Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act {Merck}
ff Pages following (as in "see page 23, ff")
FIFSTA Federation of Institutes of Food Science & Technology of ASEAN
fp Freezing Point
FP Flavoprotein
FS Food Science
FT Fourier Transform(ation)
G1P Glucose phosphate
G3P Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate
G6P Glucose-6-phosphate
GABA Gamma aminobutyric Acid
GC Gas chromatography/ Gas Chromatograph
GDP Guanosine-5'-Diphosphate
gi Gastrointestinal (tract)
GlcA Gluconic Acid {Merck}
GMP Guanosine-5'-Monophosphate (guanylic acid) {Merck}; Good
Manufacturing Practice
GTP Guanosine-5'-Triphosphate
HACCP Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point
HAZOP Hazard and Operability Studies
Hb Hemoglobin
HbCO Carbon Monoxide Haemoglobin
HbO2 Oxyhaemoglobin
HDL High-density lipoprotein
HPLC High-Pressure (performance, power)Liquid Chromatography {Merck}
HSA Human Serum Albumin
HWC Health and Welfare Canada
IARC International Agency for Research on Cancer {Merck}
ICC Interstate Commerce Commission (USA) {Merck}
IDP Inosine-5'-diphosphate {Merck}
ie That is; that is to say (id est) {Merck}
IEF Isoelectric Focusing {Merck}
IFIC International Food Information Council
IFSTI Institute of Food Science & Technology of Ireland
IFST Institute of Food Science and Technology
ig Intragastric
IMP Inosine-5'-monophosphate {Merck}
incl Including {Merck}; included
inorg Inorganic
insol Insoluble
IR Infra-red
ISO Internal Organisation for Standardisation {Merck}
ISO 9000 An extension of GMP (which see) and TQM (which see),
expanded to an internationally recognised set of quality
control standards through improved documentation systems.
ITP Inosine-5'-triphosphate {Merck}
IU International Unit
IUC International Union of Chemistry {Merck}
IUFoST International Union of Food Science & Technology
IUPAC International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry
iv Intravenous
J Joule(s)
l- levorotatory
LC Lethal Concentration {Merck}
LC50 LC for 50% of animals tested
LD Lethal Dose {Merck}
LD50 LD for 50% of animals tested
LDL Low-Density lipoproteins
log Common logarithm (Base 10)
logn Base n logarithm, where n is a base number (as in log2)
loi Limit of impurities {Merck}
ln Natural logarithm
LPS Lipopolysaccharide
MAC Maximum allowable Concentration {Merck}
MAFF Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food (of the UK)
max Maximum; maxima {Merck}
Mb Myoglobin
MbO2 Oxymyoglobin {Merck}
MCA Manufacturing Chemists Association (USA)
mcg Microgram
mCi Millicurie
Me/Met Methyl
MetOH/MeOH Methanol; methyl alcohol
mfg/mfr Manufacture; manufacturing {Merck}
min Minimum; minutes
MLD Minimum lethal dose
MO Microorganism; Molecular Orbital
MOA Ministry of Agriculture (Canada)
MOEE Ministry of Environment and Energy (Canada)
mp Melting point
ms- Meso (internally compensated) {Merck}
MS Mass spectrometry
mw Molecular weight
n The Omega carbon (as in n-6 for "omega-6"); Avogandro's
number; number of moles (as in PV=nRT).
NAD+/NADH Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (reduced)
NADP/NADPH Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (reduced)
NBS National Bureau of Standards (USA)
NCAHF National Council Against Health Fraud (USA)
NCTC National Collection of Type Cultures (USA)
NDP/NMP/NTP N-5'-mono/di/triphosphate, where N is any nucleoside
ng Nanogram
NIOSH National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health {Merck}
nm Nanometers
NMR Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
NRDC National Research Development Corporation (USA) {Merck}
NSAID Non-Steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs {Merck}
NSC National Service Center (USA) {Merck}
NSERC National Science and Engineering Research Council (Canada)
NSF National Science Foundation (USA)
NZIFST New Zealand Institute of Food Science & Technology
o- Ortho
O Oxygen; denoting attachment to an oxygen atom {Merck}
OAA Oxaloacetate
OD Optical density
OSHA Occupational Health and Safety Act (USA) {Merck}
OsM Osmolar
p- Para
Pa Pascal
PABA Para-Aminobenzoic Acid
PAGE Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis
pH The negative base-10 log of the H+ concentration
pK The negative base-10 logarithm of the equilibrium constant,
K, for the reaction in question.
ppb Parts per billion
ppm Parts per million
ppt Precipitate(d)
Pr n-Propyl
Q Glutamine {Stryer}; Coenzyme Q (ubiquinone)
QA Quality Assurance
QC Quality Control
qv which see (quod vide) {Merck}
R Arginine {Stryer}; Universal gas constant; alkyl group {Merck}
(R)- Rectus (Right) (naming groups around a central carbon) {Merck}
RIST Radioimmunosorbent test {Merck}
RNA Ribonucleic acid
hnRNA Heterogenous nuclear RNA
mRNA Messenger RNA
nRNA Nuclear RNA
rRNA Ribosomal RNA
snRNA Small Nuclear RNA
tRNA Transfer (soluble) RNA
RNase Ribonuclease
RNI Recommended Nutrient Intakes for Canadians
RTECS Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances
s- symmetrical
S Serine {Stryer}; Sulfur; denoting attachment to S
(S)- Sinister (left) (Opposite of R) {Merck}
sc Subcutaneous
SDS Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate
sec Seconds
sec- Secondary; attachment to secondary carbon
sg/sp gr Specific gravity
SI International System of Units
sol Soluble; solubility
ss Single stranded
STP Standard Temperature and Pressure
sym- Symmetrical
T Threonine {Stryer}; Temperature
T(1/2) Half-life
TDP/TMP/TTP Thymidine di/mono/triphosphate {Merck}
TDT Thermal death time (for MO's (which see))
temp Temperature
tert- Tertiary; denoting attachment to tertiary carbon
Tris tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane
TQM Total-Quality Management
UDP/UMP/UTP Uridine di/mono/triphosphate
UKFFoST UK Federation for Food Science and Technology
USD United States Dispensatory {Merck}
USDA United States Department of Agriculture {Merck}
USFDA The United States Food and Drug Administration (also FDA)
USP United States Pharmacopeia {Merck}
uv Ultraviolet
v Volume; volt(s)
VLDL Very Low-Density Lipoproteins
vol Volume
vs Versus
v/v % Volume in volume {Merck}
WHO World Health Organisation (United Nations)
wt weight
w/v % Weight in volume {Merck}
w/w % Weight in weight {Merck}
Z Glutamine or glutamic acid {Stryer}; Z-Value - the change in
temperature needed to change TDT by a factor of 10.
(Z)- Zusammen (German for together) - or "Zame Zide" from my
organic chemistry days :-) {Merck}
Continue to:
My Books
