prion

prion definition - medical

pri·on (prēˈŏn)

noun
A microscopic protein particle, apparently self-replicating despite the absence of nucleic acid, thought to be the infectious agent that causes Creutzfeld-Jakob disease and certain other neurodegenerative diseases.

The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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