Bioscience glossary (A)

 BIOSCIENCE GLOSSARY

Abnormal

Any deviation from the norm or "correct." It doesn't have to indicate destructive or unfavorable; it could instead mean abnormal, unusual, or strange. An faulty gene can cause a specific disorder when used in reference to genes.

Abortion

Termination of a pregnancy before it is due to be born.

Absorption

The ability of a dietary supplement to be absorbed into the bloodstream.

Vaccine with acellular components

A vaccine that contains partial cellular material rather than whole cells.

Immunity that is active

The immune system's generation of antibodies against a certain illness. Active immunity can be obtained in one of two ways: by contracting the disease or via vaccination. Active immunity is usually lifelong, meaning that a person is immune to the disease for the rest of his or her life.

Acute

A powerful, short-term health effect.

Adaptation

A genetically programmed trait that improves an organism's ability to adapt to its surroundings.

Adequate calorie intake

A dosage guideline that can be seen on a product label in the absence of recommended daily dietary allowance information is branded as daily values.

Adult stem cells are cells that have developed into adults.

An undifferentiated cell found in a developed tissue can renew itself and differentiate to produce all of the specialized cell types of the tissue from which it originated, subject to certain limits. Because humans are born with so-called adult stem cells in our tissue, the nomenclature is ambiguous; many scientists prefer to refer to them as somatic stem cells.

Biotechnology in agriculture

Traditional breeding techniques that alter living organisms or sections of organisms to manufacture or modify products, better plants or animals, or develop microbes for specific agricultural uses are among the instruments available. The tools of genetic engineering are used in modern biotechnology.

AIDS is a disease that affects millions of (acquired immune deficiency syndrome)

A medical illness in which the immune system fails to defend the body against disease and function effectively. As a result, the body is unable to fight infections (such as pneumonia). AIDS is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which is transmitted by direct contact with an infected person's blood and bodily fluids. Although there is no cure for AIDS, research to produce a vaccine is ongoing.

Species of aliens

As a result of purposeful or unintentional dispersal by human actions, a species now lives in an area outside its previously recognized natural range.

Allele

At a certain gene position on a chromosome, one of two or more alternative versions of a gene exists. Inherited traits such as hair color and blood type are affected by different alleles. One form of the allele (the dominant one) may be expressed more than another form in an individual (the recessive one).

Allergen

A chemical that can produce an allergy or allergic reaction in the body, usually a protein.

Allergy

After being exposed to a specific material, usually a protein, the immune system reacts.

Alzheimer's disease is a type of dementia.

A gradual, degenerative illness of the brain that causes memory, cognitive, and behavior problems. Although not all cases of Alzheimer's disease are inherited, genes for family versions of the disease have been discovered.

A kind of amino acid

A protein's fundamental building block. A total of 20 amino acids are found in the human body. A protein, also known as a polypeptide chain, is made up of long chains of amino acids. Phenylalanine, threonine, and alanine are some examples.

Amniocentesis

A method of collecting amniotic fluid for the purpose of prenatal diagnostics. 2. A uterine sample of amniotic fluid is genetically analyzed.

Anthrax

The spore-forming bacteria Bacillus anthracis causes a noncontagious, possibly deadly sickness when inhaled, eaten, or absorbed through incisions in the skin.

Antigen

A chemical that helps the body produce antibodies. Pollen grains, dust, bacteria or viruses, and most proteins are examples.

Antioxidant

Free radicals are molecules that speed up the aging process and lead to sickness. A chemical that prevents or inhibits their activity. Free radicals can be present in rancid fats and oils, as well as in the environment.

Antitoxins

Antibodies that can neutralize a toxic or hazardous material. The toxins produced by the invading bacteria induce the symptoms of some diseases such as botulism, tetanus, and diphtheria.

Antiviral

Any drug that has the ability to kill or weaken a virus. The phrase directly translates to "against virus."

Mutation that is autosomal dominant

A dominant mutation in a gene that is passed down through the generations on an autosome.

Gene that is inherited from both parents

An autosomal gene is one that is found on a single chromosome.

Mutation that is autosomal recessive

A recessive mutation in an autosome-borne gene.

Autosomal characteristics

Other than the sex chromosomes, traits carried on the chromosomes (X and Y).

Autosome

Any non-sex chromosome (not an X or Y chromosome).

A vaccine that has been weakened

A live virus is attenuated using chemical or physical procedures in order to elicit an immune response without generating the disease's severe consequences. Measles, mumps, rubella, polio, yellow fever, and varicella are among the attenuated vaccinations currently available in the United States. A live vaccine is also known as a living vaccine.