BIOTONUS
Historical document, translated for reference. It reflects medical knowledge of the 1920s–30s and is not medical advice.
Summary
Biotonus refers to the ratio of the total sum of assimilation processes to the total sum of dissimilation processes in a unit volume of living substance per unit of time. When these processes are equal, the organism is in metabolic equilibrium; when assimilation exceeds dissimilation, growth occurs; when dissimilation exceeds assimilation, atrophy occurs.
Encyclopedia entry (1928–1936)
BIOTONUS (from Greek bios-life and tonos-tension, tone), the ratio of the total sum of assimilation processes to the total sum of dissimilation processes in a unit volume of given living substance per unit of time. This definition of B. was given by Max Verworn; the term B. is rarely used at present. If we denote the total sum of assimilation processes by A, and the total sum of dissimilation processes by D, then the fraction A/D will quantitatively express B. When A=D, then A/D = 1, which corresponds to metabolic equilibrium. When A>D, then the fraction >1; this corresponds to a state of growth. In the case when A<D, then the fraction <1; this corresponds to atrophy (see).
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“BIOTONUS.” Soviet Medical Encyclopedia. English translation of Bolshaya Meditsinskaya Entsiklopediya, 1st ed. (Moscow, 1928–1936), ed. N. A. Semashko. https://sovietmedicalencyclopedia.pages.dev/article/biotonus/