Glossary
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| Acetyl group | A small charged chemical group sometimes added to histones and other proteins modifying their properties. [Wikipedia entry] |
| Acetylation | Describes a reaction, usually with acetic acid, that introduces an acetyl functional group into an organic compound. [Wikipedia entry] |
| Active pocket | The region in catalytic proteins (enzymes) that modifies the target (substrate). [Wikipedia entry] |
| Adenine | One of five varieties of organic base present in DNA and RNA. Adenine pairs with thymine (DNA) or uracil (RNA). [Wikipedia entry] |
| Adult stem cells | Self-renewing cells present in the tissues of an adult organism (compare embryonic stem cell). [Wikipedia entry] |
| Agouti gene | In mice, the agouti (A) gene controls the deposition of yellow pigment in developing hairs. There are several alleles (sequence variants) some of which are dominant, e.g. lethal yellow (Ay) which results in embryonic lethality if mice inherit 2 copies. Methylation of the agouti gene reduces its expression lowering the quantity of yellow pigment produced without altering the sequence of the gene. [Wikipedia entry] |
| Allele | One of several alternative forms of a gene that occur at a given locus on a chromosome. Most often there are two paired copies of a gene on homologous chromosomes. For each of your gene you get one copy (allele) from each parent. They may be nearly identical in DNA sequence or have slight variations (i.e. mutations). [Wikipedia entry] |
| Allele frequency | The proportion of one allele relative to all alleles at a locus in a population. [Wikipedia entry] |
| Alpha thalassaemia myelodysplasia syndrome | (ATMDS) Also haemoglobin H disease. Overproduction of beta-globin chains caused by defective alpha chain production. Symptoms are mild anaemia and a swollen spleen. Haemoglobin H has a very high affinity for oxygen, but is not a stable carrier. [Wikipedia entry] |
| Angelman syndrome | (AS) is a neurological disorder in which severe learning difficulties are associated with a characteristic facial appearance and behavior. [Wikipedia entry] |
| Antibody | A protein created by white blood cells as part of the immune response to a foreign body. Antibodies bind specifically to proteins on the cell surface of invading cells. This process underlies tissue rejection. Further viruses and other, substances are recognized. Stereoselective antibodies also serve as chiral selectors, e.g. in bioanalysis of chiral drugs.
[Wikipedia entry] |
| Antisense transcription | The DNA double helix consists of two complementary sequence strands. For any one sequence there is a sense and complementary antisense strand, e.g. 5' ATTGCGCATT complements 3' TAACGCGTAA. The sense strand is defined as that normally transcribed and translated into mRNA and protein respectively. Antisense transcription refers to the making of RNA from the antisense strand. This RNA will complement RNA made from the sense sequence, and as such may bind to it preventing protein translation. [Wikipedia entry] |
| Assisted Reproductive Technology | (ART) The general term given to medical interventions to improve fertility (see IVF and ICSI). [Wikipedia entry] |
| Autosomal dominance | Dominance is a condition in which one member of an allele pair is manifested to the exclusion of the other. An autosomal dominant gene is one that occurs on an autosomal (non-sex determining) chromosome. As it is dominant, the phenotype it gives will be expressed even if the gene is heterozygous. [Wikipedia entry] |
| Autosome | Any chromosome that is not a sex determining chromosome. [Wikipedia entry] |
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