Definitions

Question	Answer
mutation	a randomly produced, permanent and heritable change in the nucleotide sequence of a chromosome
genotype	the genetic constitution of an individual cell or organism; the particular combinatioin of alleles found in a specific individual
allele	One of several alternative forms of a gene. In a diploid cell each gene will typically have two alleles, occupying the corresponding position (locus) on homologous chromosomes.
diploid	Containing a double genome (two sets of homologous chromosomes and hence two copies of each gene or genetic locus). Compare haploid.
haploid	Having only a single copy of the genome (one set of chromosomes), as in a sperm cell, unfertilized egg, or bacterium. Compare diploid.
homologous	Genes, proteins, or body structures that are similar as a result of a shared evolutionary origin.
homologous chromosomes	The maternal and paternal copies of a particular chromosome in a diploid cell.
homologous recombination	Genetic exchange between a pair of identical or very similar DNA sequences, typically those located on two copies of the same chromosome.
phenotype	the observable characterisitcs (both physical and behavioural) exhibited by a cell or organism.
Natural selection	a principle of evolution which states that heritable traits which promote the survival and reproduction of a species become more common in a population over time; it includes Environmental and Sexual Selection
Environmental Selection	Organisms adapt locally to their habitat and its prevailing environmental conditions
Sexual Selection	Organisms adapt to display or enhance their overall fitness or ornamentation.
genome	the totality of genetic information belonging to a cell or organism; in particular, the DNA that carries this information.
phylogeny	the evolutionary history of an organism or group of organisms, often presented in chart form as a Phylogenetic tree
eucaryote	an organism composed of one or more cells that have a distinct nucleus
procaryote	single-celled microorganisms whose cells lack a well-defined, membrane-enclosed nucleus; bacteria and archaea.
archaea	procaryotes which are closely related to bacteria in metabolic machinery, but which are more similar to eucaryotes in genetic machinery.
mitochondria	a membrane-enclosed organelle, about the size of a bacterium, that performs oxidative phosphorylation and produces most of the ATP in eucaryotic cells.
oxidative phosphorylation	Process in bacteria and mitochondria in which ATP formation is driven by the transfer of electrons through the electron transport chain to molecular oxygen. Involves the intermediate generation of a proton gradient (pH gradient) across a membrane and a chemiosmotic coupling of that gradient to the ATP synthase.
ATP (adenosine 5'-triphosphate)	Nucleoside triphosphate composed of adenine, ribose, and three phosphate groups. The principal carrier of chemical energy in cells. The terminal phosphate groups are highly reactive in the sense that their hydrolysis, or transfer to another molecule, takes place with the release of a large amount of free energy.
mutagenesis	the induction of a genetic mutation
Artificial Selection	a process in which humans consciously select for or against particular features in organisms; for example, the human may allow only organisms with the desired features to reproduce or may provide more resources to the organisms with the desired features. This process causes evolutionary change in the organism and is analogous to Natural Selection, only with humans doing the selecting instead of nature.
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)	Polynucleotide formed from covalently linked deoxyribonucleotide units; the store of hereditary information within a cell and the carrier of this information from generation to generation.
RNA (ribonucleic acid)	Polymer formed from covalently linked ribonucleotide monomers; occurs as messenger RNA, ribosomal RNA, transfer RNA
nucleoside	purine or pyramidine base covalently linked to a ribose or deoxyribose sugar
nucleotide	Nucleoside with one or more phosphate groups joined inester linkages to the sugar moiety; DNA and RNA are polymers of nucleotides.
DNA polymerase	enzyme that synthesizes DNA by joining nucleotides together using a DNA template as a guide.
DNA ligase	Enzyme that joins the ends of two strands of DNA together with a covalent bond to make a continuous DNA strand.
recombination	The process in which an exchange of genetic information occurs between two chromosomes or DNA molecules. Enzyme-mediated recombination can occur naturally in living cells or in a test tube using purified DNA and enzymes that break and re-ligate DNA strands.
peptide	a short polymer of amino acids
antigenic dterminant (epitope)	Specific region of an antigen that binds to an antibody or a T cell receptor.
Antibody	Protein produced by B lymphocytes in response to a foreign molecule or invading organism. Binds to the foreign molecule or cell extremely tightly, thereby inactivating it or marking it for destruction.
heterologous	cloned from a different cell-type or species
biotechnology	the exploitation of biological processes for industrial and other purposes, especially the genetic manipulation of microorganisms for the production of antibiotics, hormones, etc. Four areas: white (industrial applications), red (medical applications), green (plant applications) and blue (marine applications).
metabolism	the network of chemical reactions that is responsible for the breakdown of molecules for energy and the synthesis of new molecules for cellular functions.
catabolism	The set of enzyme-catalyzed reactions by which complex molecules are degraded to simpler ones with release of energy; intermediates in these reactions are sometimes called catabolites.
anabolism	Set of metabolic pathways by which large molecules are made from smaller ones.
metabolic pathways	a set of oriented reactions interacting under the given physiological conditions via simple or apparently simple intermediates, with a compound considered a simple intermediate if there is a single pair of production and consumption reactions determining its concentration; a series of consecutive enzymatic reactions that produce specific products.
material flux	the amount of material flowing through a metabolic route (usually given in concentration/time); a measure of how fast a substrate is converted into a product in a metabolic pathway
activated carrier	A small diffusible molecule that stores easily exchangeable energy in the form of one or more energy-rich covalent bonds. Examples are ATP, acetyl CoA, FADH2, NADH, and NADPH.
endogenous	growing or originating from within an organism.
metabolome	the complete set of metabolites an organism has, including low molecular weight intermediates.
metabolomics	the study of the metabolome; untargeted metabolomics is intended asa comprehensive analysis of all the measurable analytes in a sample, including chemical unknowns; targeted metabolomics is the measurement of defined groups of chemically characterised and biochemically annotated metabolites.
fingerprinting	identification of the endo-metabolome (within the cell)
foot printing	identification of the exo-metabolome (outside the cell)
residue	a single unit that makes up a polymer, such as an amino acid in a polypeptide or protein
cDNA	DNA molecule made as a copy of mRNA and therefore lacking the introns that are present in genomic DNA
splicing	Removal of introns from a pre-mRNA transcript by splicing together the exons that lie on either side of each intron

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	Created by Ursula Brown about 7 years ago