syn-, sy-, sym-, syl-, sys-

Any of four heritable malformation syndromes recognizable at birth and characterized by premature craniosynostosis, syndactyly, and polydactyly; also: acrocephalopolysyndactylia.

Craniostenosis characterised by acrocephaly and syndactyly (fusion of fingers and toes), probably occurring as an autosomal dominant trait and usually as a new mutation.

Craniostenosis refers to the premature closure of cranial sutures resulting in malformation of the skull. The cranial sutures refer to a type of fibrous joint between bones of the head.

An inherited disorder causing abnormalities of the skull, the face, and the hands and feet.

In acrocephalosyndactyly, there is closure too-early of some of the sutures of the skull (craniosynostosis).

This results in an abnormally shaped head, which is unusually tall and peaked, and an abnormally shaped face with shallow eye sockets and underdevelopment of the midface. There is also a fusion of fingers and toes (syndactyly) and the broad ends of the thumbs and big toes.

In genetics, a pairing activity of homologous chromosomes at meiosis that involves the terminal portions of the chromosomes.

The complete or partial pairing at meiosis of chromosomes derived from genotypically distinct parents; such as, in parents of different species.

It occurs only in polyploid or aneuploid organisms.

A type of symbiosis that is beneficial to one symbiont and detrimental to another one; for example, "parasitism".

The ruler of a synagogue.

The loss of the ability to comprehend the symbolic meanings of things; such as, words, figures, gestures, and signs: "His asymbolia made him incapable of understanding previously familiar symbols and signs; usually, because of a lesion in the brain which is a pathological or traumatic damage of brain tissue."

1. Not balanced or regularly arranged on opposite sides of a line or around a central point.
2. Lacking equality, balance, or harmony and so not having the same shape and size on both sides.
3. In chemistry, a reference to a carbon atom which has four different atoms or structural groups attached to it, resulting in an unbalanced spatial arrangement of atoms in a molecule, so that the molecule cannot be superimposed on its mirror image.
4. In electrical engineering with varying conductivity or a description of a substance or a device that exhibits varying or different conductivities for electric currents flowing through it in different directions.
5. A description of an aircraft which is unbalanced because of an unequal thrust from two or more sources; such as, when one engine of a pair is not functioning properly.

A lack or absence of parts that are the same or similar in form or structure: "When the doctor checked the X-ray, he was surprised to see the asymmetry of the corresponding parts of bodily organs that were on the opposite sides of the patient's body which were normally alike."

Separate or distinct; not grown together: "The toes of the rare specimen were asymphytous and therefore it was unable to swim."

Without any sensations or having no changes in bodily functions that are experienced by a patient and is associated with a particular disease: "After several physical examinations, the doctor determined that her patient had asymptomatic indications of any ailments."

1. A straight line that a curve continually approaches, but never meets, even if the curve is extended to infinity: "In a classic picture illustrating perspective, the parallel rails of a railroad are asymptote in that they never intersect."
2. Etymology: from Greek asymptotos, "not falling together", from a-, "not" + syn "with" + ptotos, "fallen"; from piptein, "to fall".

1. Referring to an asymptote or not falling together.
2. Approaching a given value as an expression containing a variable tends to infinity.
3. Of two functions, so defined that their ratio approaches unity as the independent variable approaches a limit or infinity.
4. With reference to a formula, becoming increasingly exact as a variable approaches a limit, usually infinity.
5. Coming into consideration as a variable approaches a limit, usually infinity: asymptotic property; asymptotic behavior.

1. Operating at a rate determined by the system rather than at a regular rate of chronological time; without a fixed time pattern: "The injection of the new medication was supposed to correct the asychronism of the nerve impulses."
2. Describing the relationship of two or more systems that run at their own rates and interact at unpredictable times: "Despite practicing for weeks, the gymnast's jumping jacks appeared to be asynchronisms or uncoordinated."