Microbiology terms - A
- icosahedron
- A geometrical shape occurring in many virus particles, with 20 triangular
faces and 12 corners.
- immobilized enzyme
- An enzyme attached to a solid support over which substrate is passed and is
converted into product.
- immune
- 1. An adjective, when a human or animal body which is able to resist
infectious disease because of either previous infection,
immunization/vacination, or contact with the immunogen/antigen, then the
human or animal is immune to this disease .
2. As a noun, the state of immunity.
- immune response
- The specific reactions induced in the human or animal body due to the
contact with foreign material. The foreign material which induces the immune
response is called an immunogen or antigen. The immunse response may
involve either antibody production, the activation of T cells or both.
- immunity
- The ability of a (human or animal) body to resist infection by microorganisms
or their harmful products such as toxin. There are several types of immunities
(ways of obtaining immunity): inherited immunity, acuired immunity (including
active immunity and passive immunity), and autoimmunity.
- immunization
- Induction of specific immunity by injecting antigens, antibodies, or immune
cells.
- immunoblot (Western blot)
- Detection of proteins immobilized on a filter by complementary reaction with
specifc antibody. Compare with Southern and northern blot.
- immunogen
- A substance which is capable of eliciting (inducing) immune response. An
immunogen usually has a fairly high molecular weight (usually greater than
10,000), thus, a variety of macromolecules such as proteins, lipoproteins,
polysaccharides, some nucleic acids, and certain of the teichoic acids, can
act as immunogens. Compare with antigen.
- immunoglobulin
- Antibody
- immunologic memory
- The ability to rapidly produce large quantities of specific immune cells after
subsequent exposure to a previously encountered antigen.
- immonology
- The study of immunity and immune system.
- in vitro
- Literally means "in glass", away from a living organism; it is used to describe
whatever happens in a test tube or other receptacle, as opposed to in vivo.
When a study or an experiment is done outside the living organism, i.e., in
test tube, it is said it's done in vitro.
- in vivo
- In the body, in a living organism, as opposed to in vitro; when a study or an
experiment is done in the living organism, it is said this is done in vivo.
- incidence
- In reference to disease transmission, the number of cases of the disease in a
specific subset of the population.
- induced enzyme
- An enzyme subject to induction.
- induction
- The process by which an enzyme is synthesized (induced) in response to the
presence of an external substance, the inducer.
- infection
- Growth of an organism within the body.
- infection thread
- In the formation of root nodules, a cellulosic tube through which Rhizobium
cells can travel to reach and infect root cells.
- inflammation
- Characteristic reaction to foreign particles and noxious stimuli, resulting in
redness, swelling, heat, and pain.
- inhibition
- Prevention of growth or function.
- inoculum
- Material used to initiate a microbial culture.
- insertion
- A genetic phenomenon in which a piece of DNA is inserted into the middle
of a gene.
- insertion sequence (IS element)
- The simplest type of transposable element. Has only genes involved in
transposition.
- integration
- The process by which a DNA molecule becomes incorporated into another
genome.
- interferon
- A protein produced by cells as a result of virus infection which interferes
with virus replication.
- interspecies hydrogen transfer
- The process in which organic matter is degraded anaerobically by the
interaction of several groups of microorganisms in which hydrogen
production and hydrogen consumption are closely coupled among species.
- intron
- The intervening noncoding sequence in a split gene. Contrasted with exon,
the coding sequence.
- invasiveness
- Degree to which an organism is able to spread through the body from a
focus of infection.
- ionophore
- A compound which can cause the leakage of ions across membranes.
- isoenzyme (isozyme)
- When two different enzymes catalyze the same reaction(s), they are
isoenzyme to each other. Isoenzymes could differ from each other in their
primary structure or electrophoretic mobility.
- isolation
- 1. Any procedure in which a given species of organism, present in a
particular sample or environment, is obtained in pure culture.
- isotope
- Different form of the same element containing the same number of protons
and electrons, but differing in the number of neutrons.
- isozyme
- See isoenzyme.
Compiled by Tsute Chen, Converted by Ben Hoyt