The more common name for the tree is a sycamore fig, sycomore fig, or a fig mulberry. The trees do produce fruits, like other figs, but they tend to be small. Yet they are still edible and the tree is cultivated for its fruit. The sycamore fig is mentioned in I Chronicles 27:28; Psalm 78:47; Amos 7:14; and Luke 19:4. The Hebrew name for the tree is shaqam and its Greek name is sukomoraia. In England, a sycamore is a type of maple tree (acer pseudoplatanus).
Beta cell: A type of cell in the pancreas. Within the pancreas, the beta cells are located in areas called the islets of Langerhans where they constitute the predominant type of cell. The beta cells make and release insulin, a hormone that controls the level of glucose (sugar) in the blood.
Beta-blockers are drugs that bind to beta-adrenoceptors and thereby block the binding of norepinephrine and epinephrine to these receptors. This inhibits normal sympathetic effects that act through these receptors. Therefore, beta-blockers are sympatholytic drugs. Some beta-blockers, when they bind to the beta-adrenoceptor, partially activate the receptor while preventing norepinephrine from binding to the receptor. These partial agonists therefore provide some background of sympathetic activity while preventing normal and enhanced sympathetic activity.