Bmp

/ˌbi ˌɛm ˈpi/ acronym

Definition

Bitmap image file format developed by Microsoft; also refers to Basic Metabolic Panel in medicine or Bone Morphogenetic Proteins in biology.

Etymology

In computing, stands for 'Bitmap,' from 'bit' (binary digit) and 'map' (arrangement), created in the 1980s for Windows operating systems. The medical and biological meanings developed independently as acronyms in their respective fields.

Kelly Says

BMP files are uncompressed, making them huge compared to JPEGs, but they preserve every pixel of image data perfectly - which is why they're still used when image quality is more important than file size. In biology, BMP proteins are fascinating because they were originally discovered in bone but actually control the development of many organs during embryonic growth.

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