[ ]  
concentration
[ion]1  
intracellular
[ion]0  
extracellular (not [ ]e)
AC  
alternating current
ACh  
acetylcholine
ACTH  
adrenocorticotrop(h)ic hormone
A/D  
converter analog–digital converter
ADP  
adenosine diphosphate
AMP  
adenosine monophosphate
AMPA  
a-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionate
AMPA/KA  
AMPA/kainate
ANOVA  
analysis of variance
AP  
anterioposterior (brain co-ordinate)
ATP  
adenosine triphosphate
ATPase  
adenosine triphosphatase
AVP  
arginine vasopressin (as in ... the peptide AVP)
BAPTA  
1,2-bis (O-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N‚,N ‚-tetraacetic acid
Bay K5552  
1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-4-(2-nitrophenyl)-3,5-pyridine dicarboxylic acid methyl-2-methylpropyl ester
Bay K 8644  
1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-3-nitro-4-(2-trifluoromethylphenyl)-pyridine-5-carboxylic acid-methyl ester
Bes  
N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-aminoethanesulphonic acid
bp  
base pair
[Ca2+]1,  [Ca2+]0  
intra- or extracellular Ca2+ concentration
Ca2+1,  Ca2+0  
intra- or extracellular Ca2+
Ca2+-ATPase
cAMP  
cyclic AMP
CAT (scan)  
computerized axial tomography (scan)
CCD  
camera charge-coupled device camera
cDNA  
complementary DNA
cGMP  
cyclic GMP
CNS  
central nervous system
DAT  
digital audiotape
DC  
direct current
DIDS  
4,4‚-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2‚-disulphonic acid
DMSO  
dimethyl sulphoxide
DNA  
deoxyribonucleic acid
DNase  
deoxyribonuclease (NB not DNAase)
DTL electrode  
named for Dawson,Trick & Litzkow (1979)
DTT  
dithiothreitol
DV  
dorsoventral (brain co-ordinate)
EC50  
median (or half-maximal) effective concentration
ECG  
electrocardiogram
ED50  
median (or half-maximal) dose
EDTA  
ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid
EEG  
electroencephalogram
EGTA  
ethyleneglycol-bis-(b-aminoethylether) N,N,N ‚,N‚-tetraacetic acid
EMF  
electromotive field
EMG  
electromyogram
EPSC  
excitatory postsynaptic current
EPSP  
excitatory postsynaptic potential
G protein (G-)  
guanosine-binding protein
GABA  
g-aminobutyric acid; also GABAA, GABAB for receptors
GDP-β-S or GDPβS  
guanosine 5‚-O-(2-thiodiphosphate)
GMP  
guanosine monophosphate
GTP  
guanosine triphosphate
GTP-γ-Sor GTPγS  
guanosine 5‚-O-(3-thiotriphosphate)
Hepes  
N-2-hydroxyethylpiperazine-N‚-2-ethanesulphonic acid
Hepps  
N-(hydroxy-2-ethyl)-piperazine-N‚-propanesulphonic acid
HPLC  
high-pressure liquid chromatography
HRP  
horseradish peroxidase
5-HT  
5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin)
I.A.  
intra-arterial (small capitals)
IC50  
concentration giving 50 % of maximal inhibition
ID50  
dose giving 50 % of maximal inhibition
i.d.  
internal diameter
Ig  
immunoglobulin
IgA  
immunoglobulin A
IgD  
immunoglobulin D
IgE  
immunoglobulin E
IgG  
immunoglobulin G (IgG1)
IgM  
immunoglobulin M
InsP3  
inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (tris- not tri-)
I.M.  
intramuscular (small capitals)
I.P.  
intraperitoneal (small capitals)
IPSC  
inhibitory postsynaptic current
IPSP  
inhibitory postsynaptic potential
IR  
infrared
i.u./IU  
international unit
I.V.  
intravenous (small capitals)
k  
Boltzmann steepness coefficient
K1/2  
reciprocal of [ion] required for half-maximal inhibition
KD /Kd  
dissociation constant
Ki  
inhibition constant(also dissociation constant for enzyme–inhibitor complex)
Km  
Michaelis-Menten constant
kb  
kilobases or kilobytes
KIU  
kallikrein inhibition unit
L-NAME  
Nv-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (D-isomer is inactive)
log  
logarithm
ln  
natural logarithm
Mes  
2-(N-morpholino)ethanesulphonic acid
ML  
mediolateral (brain co-ordinate)
Mops  
3-(N-morpholino)propanesulphonic acid
mRNA  
messenger RNA
MS-222  
invertebrate anaesthetic (= tricaine)
[Na+]i, [Na+]0  
intra- or extracellular Na+ concentration
NA  
numerical aperture
NAD  
nicotinamide–adenine dinucleotide
NADH  
reduced form of NAD
NMDA  
N-methyl-D-aspartate; also N-methyl-D-aspartic acid
NMR  
nuclear magnetic resonance
n.s.  
not significant
nt  
nucleotide(s)
o.d.  
outer diameter
P  
probability (p can be used if P is used for pressure, tension or permeability)
PCO2  
partial pressure of CO2
PO2  
partial pressure of O2
PBS  
phosphate-buffered saline
PC    
personal computer
PC12 cells    
phaeochromocytoma cells
pCa    
_log [Ca2+] (or other ion)
PCR    
polymerase chain reaction
PGE    
prostaglandin E
PGF2    
prostaglandin F2; also PGF2a
pHi  
intracellular pH
pHo  
extracellular pH (not pHe)
Pipes    
piperazine-N-N‚-bis(2-ethanesulphonic acid); also 1,4-piperazinediethane sulphonic acid
Q10    
temperature coefficient over a 10 °C temperature range
r  
correlation coefficient
RNA    
ribonucleic acid
RT-PCR    
reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction
SBFI  
indicator
S.C.    
subcutaneous (small capitals)
S.D.  
standard deviation (small capital)
SDS    
sodium dodecyl sulphate
SDS-PAGE    
sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis
S.E.    
standard error (used in regression analysis)
S.E.M.    
standard error of the mean (small capitals)
SITS    
4-acetamido-4‚-isothiocyanatostilbene-2,2‚-disulphonic acid
Taps    
tris(hydroxymethyl)methyl-amino-propanesulphonic acid;also ([2-hydroxy-1,1-bis(hydroxymethyl)ethyl]amino)-1-propanesulphonic acid
UV    
ultraviolet
TEA    
tetraethylammonium
Tes    
N-tris(hydroxymethyl)methyl-2-aminoethanesulphonic acid;2((2-hydroxy-1,1-bis(hydroxymethyl)ethyl) ethane sulphonic acid
Tris    
tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane
TTX    
tetrodotoxin (tetrodioxin)
V1/2    
membrane potential at half-maximal inactivation
Vmax    
maximal velocity (in Boltzmann equation)
VIP    
vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (as in ... the peptide VIP
t    
time constant
Non-science abbreviations
ca (italic)  
 circa (note no stop in contraction)
cf.  
    (roman; not c.f.)
chap.  
    chapter
DPhil  
    (Oxford and Sussex)
Dr  
    doctor (no stop)
ed.  
   editor(s); eds not allowed
edn  
   edition
e.g.  
   (roman; not followed by comma)
eqn  
   equation (e.g. eqn (1); eqns (4) and (7))
etc.  
   et cetera
expt  
    experiment (but Expt 1)
GmbH  
   equivalent of Ltd in German
i.e.  
    (roman; not followed by comma)
Jr  
     junior (no stop)
Ltd l  
   imited (not Ltd.; cf. Inc.)
Mrs  
   )
Mr  
   ) no stop
M s  
   )
NB  
    nota bene (no stops)
no. or No.  
    number(s) (no. of experiments, No. 2)
nos  
    plural of no. (no stop)
PhD  
   no stops
plc  
    public limited company
suppl.  
    supplement
vol.  
    volume
vs.  
   (italic) versus
wt  
   weight (weight for weight is w/w not wt/wt)