A slender, ?exible instrument, usually made of metal, designed for introduction into a wound or cavity – to explore its depth and direction, to discover the presence of foreign bodies, or to introduce medicinal substances.
n. 1. a thin rod of pliable metal, such as silver, with a blunt end. The instrument is used for exploring cavities, wounds, fistulae, and sinus channels. 2. (dental probe) a hand instrument designed for specific exploratory examination procedures (e.g. for dental caries, endodontics, or periodontics). 3. (ultrasound probe) see ultrasound; transducer. 4. (gene probe) a radioactively labelled cloned section of DNA that is used to detect identical sections of nucleic acid by means of pairing between complementary bases. See Northern blot analysis; Southern blot analysis.
A benzoic-acid derivative which interferes with the excretion by the KIDNEYS of certain compounds, including PENICILLIN and PARA-AMINO SALICYLIC ACID. Probenecid and was originally introduced into medicine for this reason, as a means of increasing and maintaining the concentration of penicillin in the body; it is also used to treat chronic GOUT.... probenecid
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