In biology,
- often biological defense mechanism, a form of adaptation that promotes the survivability of an organism by protecting it from its natural enemies. Also see chemical defense.
In law,
- a claim that some biological factor present in the defendant provides a defense against the accused crimes, as in the so-called Twinkie defense.
Famous quotes containing the words biological and/or defense:
“Much of the ill-tempered railing against women that has characterized the popular writing of the last two years is a half-hearted attempt to find a way back to a more balanced relationship between our biological selves and the world we have built. So women are scolded both for being mothers and for not being mothers, for wanting to eat their cake and have it too, and for not wanting to eat their cake and have it too.”
—Margaret Mead (1901–1978)
“There’s no telling what might have happened to our defense budget if Saddam Hussein hadn’t invaded Kuwait that August and set everyone gearing up for World War II½. Can we count on Saddam Hussein to come along every year and resolve our defense-policy debates? Given the history of the Middle East, it’s possible.”
—P.J. (Patrick Jake)