Glossary
- APHIS - (Animal and Plants Health Inspection Service) Responsible for the protection of the plants from diseases and pests.
- base sequence - the order of the bases, providing the information necessary for a cell to make a specific protein.
- bases - the four chemical compounds the rungs of the double helix ladder are made up of. A pair of bases forms each rung. Most genes consist of several thousand base pairs.
- Bt toxin - (Bacillus thuringiensis) A Bt gene is implanted into plants, therefore the crops have a natural insecticide.
- Cartagena Protocol - an international agreement regulating the trade of genetically engineered products, particularly Living Modified Organisms (LMO’s)
- catalyst - a substance that modifies and increases the rate of a reaction without being consumed in the process
- chromosome - a rod-shaped structure in a cell nucleus that carries genes. Each chromosome contains a single long molecule of a chemical substance called DNA
- cleavage site - the point in which restriction enzymes break DNA molecule.
- clone - a group of genetically identical cells.
- DNA - acronym for deoxyribonucleic acid. DNA stores within its chemical structure the information that determines an organism’s hereditary properties. May contain thousands of genes.
- dominant - used to describe a gene that causes a parental characteristic it controls to occur in any offspring or the characteristic itself
- double helix - the physical structure of DNA which is similar in all organisms. The DNA molecule is shaped like a twisted rope ladder, called the double helix. The rungs of the ladder are made up of four chemical compounds. This structure allows for easy replication of the molecule.
- enzyme - a protein produced by the body to speed up a specific chemical reaction in the body
- EPA - (Environmental Protection Agency) Oversees the chemical and biological pesticides used in the production of the plants.
- eukaryotic- having cells with “good” or membrane-bound nuclei
- FDA - (Food and Drug Administration) Guarantees that the GE crops are safe for consumption.
- gene splicing - a technique to alter the genetic makeup of DNA, in which a gene sized fragment of DNA is taken from one organism and joined to a DNA molecule from another organism or even from the same organism.
- gene therapy - the treatment of medical disorders by introducing specific engineered genes into a patient’s cells
- gene - a unit of heredity that is fixed on a specific point on the chromosomes and transmit and determines traits
- germ line gene therapy - a process by which the DNA of an organism is modified at an early stage of development so all subsequent cells inherit the modification
- herbicides - A pesticide used to get rid of not needed vegetation, such as weeds and grasses.
- heredity- the passing of characteristics from parent to offspring by means of genes in the chromosomes
- human Genome Project - an international effort to sequence the entire human genome
- insulin - substance used to regulate blood sugar level, used to treat diabetes
- interferon - peptides that promote the production of a protein that stimulates the immune system
- ligase - an enzyme used to splice DNA fragment to another DNA molecule.
- LMO - living modified organism
- nucleotides - a type of chemical compound consisting of a nucleoside linked to a phosphate group
- oncogenes - cancer causing genes
- oxidation - a chemical reaction in which oxygen is added to an element or compound
- peptides - short proteins
- pharmacogenomics - branch of pharmaceutics which aims to tailor medicines to an individual’s genetic makeup
- plasmid - small, free-floating rings of DNA found in bacteria
- prokaryotic - having cells that lack membrane-bound nuclei
- recessive - used to describe a gene that produces an effect in an organism only when its matching allele is identical
- recombinant DNA - a kind of hybrid molecule formed when a gene sized DNA fragment is joined to another DNA molecule using ligase.
- replication - a term for duplication.
- restriction enzymes - enzymes used to isolate gene sized DNA fragments. The enzymes react chemically with a specific base sequence in the DNA molecule and break the molecule at that point. Restriction enzymes are made by bacteria.
- somatic cell gene therapy - gene therapy that aims to modify nonreproductive (somatic) cells
- spliced - a term for joined.
- stem cell - an unspecialized cell that gives rise to a specific specialized cell, such as a brain cell
- substrate - a surface on which an organism grows or is attached
- synthesis - formation of chemical compounds
- transformation - the process in which specially prepared cells mixed with recombinant DNA takes up the recombinant DNA.
- USDA - (United States Department of Agriculture) The federal department that administers programs that offer services to the farmers.
Sources
- “Genetic Engineering.” Encyclopaedia Britannica. 2004. Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. 1 July 2004 http://www.search.eb.com/article?eu=37096. An excellent source for general information, but extremely helpful in vocabulary due to clear and precise definitions of the common terms appearing in text.
- "Genetic Engineering." Compton's Encyclopedia. Vol. 9 ed. N.p.: n.p., 1997. Very prominent and detailed in descriptions, and a great aid for seeking vocabulary.