microgram
/'maikrougræm/ Cách viết khác : (microgramme) /'maikrougræm/
Definition
Noun: - One millionth of a gram: A unit of mass in the metric system equal to one millionth (1/1,000,000) of a gram. It is an extremely small measurement used in scientific and medical contexts.
Usage
The word "microgram" is used as a standard unit of measurement for very small masses, particularly in chemistry, pharmacology, biology, and nutrition. It is often abbreviated as µg (using the Greek letter mu) or, less formally, as mcg in medical contexts to avoid confusion.
Examples
- The recommended daily intake of Vitamin D for adults is often around 15 micrograms.
- The laboratory analysis detected only a few micrograms of the contaminant in the water sample.
- This medication contains 100 micrograms of the active ingredient per dose.
Advanced Usage
- "µg" as an abbreviation: The official SI (International System of Units) abbreviation for microgram is µg, where "µ" stands for "micro-" (one millionth). In practice, especially in medicine, "mcg" is frequently used on labels to prevent the handwritten "µg" from being misread as "mg" (milligram), which is 1000 times larger and could lead to dangerous dosing errors.
- The prescription specified a dose of 50 µg (mcg) of levothyroxine.
Variants and Related Words
- Microgramme: An alternative, chiefly British spelling of "microgram." This spelling is now less common.
- Nanogram (ng): A unit of mass equal to one billionth (1/1,000,000,000) of a gram, which is 1000 times smaller than a microgram.
- Milligram (mg): A unit of mass equal to one thousandth (1/1,000) of a gram, which is 1000 times larger than a microgram.
Synonyms
- Unit of mass: While not a direct synonym, "microgram" belongs to the category of units of mass. More specific terms like "µg" or "mcg" are its standard abbreviations, not synonyms.
Notes on Different Meanings
The word "microgram" has a single, precise scientific meaning as a unit of measurement. It does not have idiomatic or figurative uses. Its usage is strictly technical.
Noun
-
one millionth (1/1,000,000) gram
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