Medical Dictionary
Main Entry:
1vec·tor Pronunciation:
'vek-t&r Function:
noun 1 : a quantity that has magnitude and direction and that is usuallyrepresented by part of a straight line with the given direction and with a length representing the magnitude
2 : an organism (as an insect) that transmits a pathogen from oneorganism or source to another
vectors of plague> —compare CARRIER 1a
3 : a sequence of genetic material (as a plasmid) into which a DNA segment has been inserted and which can be used to introduce exogenous genes into the genome of an organism —vec·to·ri·al /vek-'tOr-E-&l, -'tor-/ adjective