Latent Period (Noun)
Meaning 1
The time that elapses between a stimulus and the response to it.
Classification
Nouns denoting time and temporal relations.
Examples
- The latent period in muscle physiology refers to the brief delay that occurs between the time a stimulus activates a muscle and the time the muscle begins to contract.
- In neuroscience, the latent period is often studied in the context of reaction time, which is the time it takes for the brain to process sensory information and generate a response.
- The latent period of a neuron is the time between the arrival of a signal and the generation of an action potential, which is the electrical impulse that carries information throughout the nervous system.
- Researchers measured the latent period of subjects responding to a visual stimulus and found that it was shorter when the subjects were focused on the stimulus versus when they were distracted.
- In engineering, understanding the latent period of a system's response to a control signal is critical in designing safe and efficient systems, particularly those involving motor control.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 2
The time that elapses before the presence of a disease is manifested by symptoms.
Classification
Nouns denoting time and temporal relations.
Examples
- The latent period of HIV infection can last for many years, during which time the individual may not exhibit any noticeable symptoms.
- The doctor explained that the latent period of the disease was typically several weeks, but could vary depending on the individual's overall health.
- Researchers have been studying the latent period of the virus to better understand how it progresses and how to develop effective treatments.
- The latent period of the disease made it difficult to diagnose, as patients often didn't exhibit symptoms until the disease had already progressed significantly.
- Understanding the latent period of infectious diseases is crucial for developing effective public health strategies to prevent outbreaks.