tests of cerebral lateralization. 1  sodium amytal test: anesthetize one hemisphere and check for language function. 2  dichotic listening test: report more digits heard by dominant half. 3  functional brain imaging: fMRI or PET used to see which half is active when performing a language test.
one of a large group of low-molecular-weight proteins secreted by various cell types and involved in cell-to-cell communication, coordinating antibody and T cell immune interactions, and amplifying immune reactivity. Cytokines include colony-stimulating factors, interferons, interleukins, and lymphokines, which are secreted by lymphocytes.
Cytokine: Cytokine, any of a group of small, short-lived proteins that are released by one cell to regulate the function of another cell, thereby serving as intercellular chemical messengers. Cytokines effect changes in cellular behaviour that are important in a number of physiological processes, including reproduction, growth and development, and injury repair.