The definitions used in this glossary of terminology either have been provided by the authors of the articles, or have been extracted wholly or in part, or paraphrased from the following sources: The American Medical Association Encyclopedia of Medicine, Charles B. Clayman, MD, Medical Editor, Random House, New York, 1989; Biotechnology from A to Z, 2d Edition, William Bains, Oxford University Press, New York, New York, 2002; A Dictionary of Genetics, 6th Edition, Robert C. King and William D. Stansfield, Oxford University Press, New York, New York, 2002; Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary, 29th and 30th Editions, W. B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia, 2000, 2003; Genes VII, Benjamin Lewin, Oxford University Press, New York, New York, 2000; The Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders, Volumes I and II, Stacey L. Blachford, Ed., Thomson Learning, New York, New York, 2002; The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Inc., Springfield, Massachusetts, 1997; Molecular Biology of the Cell, 3rd Edition, Bruce Alberts, et al., Garland Publishing, 1994; The Random House Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged Edition, 1966; Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, 1991.

DEFINITION:

M, M, m, m, m, and µ.

As M - symbol for mega- , molar¹ (used with a number designating the strength of the solution relative to one molar, e.g., M/2 or 0.5M for half-molar), molar² , morgan , mucoid (colony), and myopia , and for the low frequency component of the first heart sound; See under sound .

As M - symbol for mutual inductance , molar mass , and molar¹ .

As m - symbol for median , meter , and milli- .

As m - symbol for mass and molal (used with a number designating the strength of the solution relative to one molal).

As m. - symbol for minim and for L. musculus , muscle.

As µ - mu, the twelfth letter of the Greek alphabet; symbol for linear attenuation coefficient , population mean , micro- , micron , electrophoretic mobility , and the heavy chain of IgM (See immunoglobulin .)