[plaz-muh] 
| 1. | Anatomy, Physiology. the liquid part of blood or lymph, as distinguished from the suspended elements. |
| 2. | Cell Biology. cytoplasm. |
| 3. | whey. |
| 4. | a green, faintly translucent chalcedony. |
| 5. | Physics. a highly ionized gas containing an approximately equal number of positive ions and electrons. |
[plaz-uh
m] for defs. 1–3. [plaz-mat-ik] , plasmic, adjective | plas·ma (plāz'mə) n.
[New Latin, from Late Latin, image, figure, from Greek, from plassein, to mold; see pelə-2 in Indo-European roots.] plas·mat'ic (plāz-māt'ĭk), plas'mic (-mĭk) adj. |
A state of matter in which some or all of the electrons have been torn from their parent atoms. The negatively charged electrons and positively charged ions move independently.
Note: Plasmas are usually associated with very high temperatures — most of the sun is a plasma, for example.
The liquid part of blood or lymph. Blood plasma is mainly water; it also contains gases, nutrients, and hormones. The red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets are all suspended in the plasma of the blood.
plasma plas·ma (plāz'mə) or plasm (plāz'əm)
n.
The clear, yellowish fluid portion of blood, lymph, or intramuscular fluid in which cells are suspended.
Cell-free, sterilized blood plasma, used in transfusions.
Protoplasm or cytoplasm.
plasma (plāz'mə) Pronunciation Key
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PLASMA
PLAnner-like System Modelled on Actors. Carl Hewitt, 1975. The first actor language. Originally called Planner-73, and implemented in MacLisp. Lisp-like syntax, but with several kinds of parentheses and brackets.
["A PLASMA Primer", B. Smith et al, AI Lab Working Paper 92, MIT Oct 1975].
["Viewing Control Structures as Patterns of Passing Messages", C. Hewitt, AI Lab Memo 410, MIT 1976].