Additive effect
Additive effect (pronunciation: /ˈædɪtɪv ɪˈfɛkt/) is a term used in pharmacology and genetics to describe the combined effect of two or more substances or genes that is equal to the sum of their individual effects.
Etymology
The term "additive effect" is derived from the English word "additive", which means something that is added or supplementary, and "effect", which refers to a change that is a result or consequence of an action or other cause.
Pharmacology
In pharmacology, an additive effect refers to the effect produced when two drugs with similar actions are administered together, and the total effect is the sum of the effects of the two drugs taken separately. For example, if drug A alone reduces blood pressure by 10 units and drug B alone reduces it by 15 units, then if both drugs are given together, the blood pressure would be expected to decrease by 25 units.
Genetics
In genetics, an additive effect refers to the situation where the combined effect of two or more alleles at a locus is equal to the sum of their individual effects. This is in contrast to epistasis, where the effect of one gene is dependent on the presence of one or more 'modifier genes'.
Related terms
- Synergistic effect: An effect arising between two or more agents, entities, factors, or substances that produces an effect greater than the sum of their individual effects.
- Antagonistic effect: An effect arising between two or more agents, entities, factors, or substances that produces an effect less than the sum of their individual effects.
- Epistasis: A phenomenon in genetics in which the effect of a gene mutation is dependent on the presence or absence of mutations in one or more other genes, i.e., the effect of the mutation is non-additive.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Additive effect
- Wikipedia's article - Additive effect
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