Medical Dictionary
Main Entry:
re·ac·tion Pronunciation:
rE-'ak-sh&n Function:
noun 1 : the act or process or an instance of reacting
2 : bodily response to or activity aroused by a stimulus:
a : an action induced by vital resistance to another action;
especially : the response of tissues to aforeign substance (as an antigen or infective agent)
b : depression or exhaustion due to excessive exertion or stimulation
c : abnormally heightened activitysucceeding depression or shock
d : a mental or emotional disorder forming an individual's response to his or her life situation
3 : the force that a body subjectedto the action of a force from another body exerts in the opposite direction
4 a (1)
: chemical transformation or change
: the interaction of chemical entities (2)
: the state resulting from such a reaction
b : a process involving change in atomic nuclei