Food Biotechnology terms starting with I

162 terms

I/E region Abbreviation for integration-excision region.
ICSI See: intracytoplasmic sperm injection.
Identical twin See: monozygotic twin.
idiogram See: karyogram.
idiotype An identifying property or characteristic of an item or system. 1.A plant form expected on physiological grounds to represent an optimal type for the…
IgA/Igd/IgG/IgE/IgM See: antibody class.
IGS Abbreviation for 1. internal guide sequence. 2. intergenic spacer.
imaginal disc A mass of cells in the larvae of Drosophila melanogaster and other holometabolous insects that gives rise to particular adult organs, such as antennae…
imbibition 1. The absorption of liquids or vapours into the ultramicroscopic spaces or pores found in materials. 2.
immediate early gene A viral gene that is expressed promptly after infection.
immobilized cells Cells entrapped in matrices such as alginate, polyacrylamide and agarose, for use in membrane and filter bioreactors.
immortalization The genetic transformation of a cell type into which can proliferate indefinitely.
Immortalizing oncogene A gene that upon transfection enables a primary cell to grow indefinitely in culture. (See Oncogene.)
immune response (ih-MYOON reh-SPONTS) The activity of the immune system against foreign substances (antigens).
Immunity (ih-MYOO-nih-tee) The condition of being protected against an infectious disease.
immunization A technique used to cause an immune response that results in resistance to a specific disease, especially an infectious disease.
immunoaffinity chromatography A purification technique in which an antibody is bound to a matrix and is used to isolate a protein from a complex mixture. See: affinity chromatography.
immunoassay A test that uses the binding of antibodies to antigens to identify and measure certain substances. Immunoassays may be used to diagnose disease.
immunochemical control See: immunotherapy.
immunodiagnostics See: immunoassay.
immunogen See: antigen.
immunogenicity The ability to elicit an immune response.
immunoglobulin (IH-myoo-noh-GLOB-yoo-lin) A type of protein that acts as an antibody.
immunoprophylaxis The process of active or passive immunization. Active immunization with vaccines leads to long-term protection through mobilizing the organism's own…
immunosensor A biosensor having an antibody as the biological element.
immunosuppression (IH-myoo-noh-suh-PREH-shun) Suppression of the body's immune system and its ability to fight infections and other diseases.
immunosuppressor A substance, an agent or a condition that prevents or diminishes the immune response.
immunotherapy (IH-myoo-noh-THAYR-uh-pee) Treatment to boost or restore the ability of the immune system to fight cancer, infections, and other diseases.
immunotoxin (IH-myoo-noh-TOK-sin) An antibody linked to a toxic substance. Some immunotoxins can bind to cancer cells and kill them.
Impeller An agitator that is used for mixing the contents of a bioreactor.
in silico In a computer file. In the present context, the use of data bases of DNA and protein sequence to help answer biological questions.
In situ (in si'too) the natural or normal place; confined to the site of origin without invasion or spread to neighboring tissues.
in situ colony hybridization A procedure for screening bacterial colonies or plaques growing on plates or membranes for the presence of specific DNA sequences by the…
in situ hybridization The visualization of in vivo location of macromolecules (particularly polynucleotides and polypeptides) by the histological staining of tissue sections or…
in situ plaque hybridization See:.
In vitro (in VEE-troh) In the laboratory (outside the body). The opposite of in vivo (in the body).
in vitro embryo production (Abbreviation: IVEP). The combination of ovum pickup, in vitro maturation of ova, and in vitro fertilization.
In vitro fertilization (in VEE-troh FER-tih-lih-ZAY-shun) A procedure in which eggs are removed from a woman's ovary and combined with sperm outside the body to form embryos.
in vitro maturation (Abbreviation: IVM). Culture of immature ova in the laboratory, usually until they are ready for in vitro fertilization.
in vitro mutagenesis See: directed mutagenesis.
in vitro transcription The cell-free synthesis from DNA of RNA in the test tube. Synonym: cell-free transcription.
in vitro translation The synthesis of proteins from isolated mRNA molecules in the test-tube. Synonym: cell-free translation.
In vivo In the body. The opposite of in vitro (outside the body or in the laboratory).
in vivo gene therapy The delivery of a gene or genes to a tissue or organ of a complete living individual to alleviate a genetic disorder.
in-situ conservation The conservation of ecosystems and natural habitats and the maintenance and recovery of viable populations of species in their natural surroundings and…
inactivated agent A virus, bacterium or other organism that has been treated to prevent it from causing a disease. See: attenuated vaccine.
inbred line The product of inbreeding, i.e. the intercrossing of individuals that have ancestors in common.
inbreeding Matings between individuals that have one or more ancestors in common, the extreme condition being self-fertilization, which occurs naturally in many…
inbreeding depression The reduction in vigour over generations of inbreeding. This affects species which are normally outbreeding and highly heterozygous. See: hybrid vigour.
inclusion body A protein that is overproduced in a recombinant bacterium and forms a crystalline structure inside the bacterial cell.
incompatibility 1. Genetically or physiologically determined prevention of intermating. 2. A physiological interaction resulting in graft rejection or failure. 3.
incompatibility group Plasmids must belong to different incompatibility groups to co-exist within the same cell.
incomplete digest See: partial digest.
Incomplete dominance A condition where a heterozygous offspring has a phenotype that is distinctly different from, and intermediate to, the parental phenotypes.
incomplete penetrance Where the phenotype does not allow perfect prediction of the genotype as a result of interference in gene expression by the environment.
incubation 1. The hatching of eggs by means of heat, either natural or artificial. 2. Period between infection and appearance of symptoms induced by a pathogen. 3.
incubator An apparatus in which environmental conditions (light, photoperiod, temperature, humidity, etc.
indehiscent Describing a fruit or fruiting body that does not open to release its seeds or spores when ripe.
Independent assortment The random distribution during meiosis of alleles (at different genes) to the gametes that is the case when the genes in question are located on different…
indeterminate growth The condition in which the terminal bud persists and produces successive lateral branches over an indefinite period. Opposite: determinate growth.
indirect embryogenesis Plant embryo formation on callus tissues derived from explants, including zygotic or somatic embryos and seedlings. Opposite: direct embryogenesis.
indirect organogenesis Plant organ formation on callus tissues derived from explants . Opposite: direct organogenesis.
inducer A low-molecular-weight compound or a physical agent that associates with a repressor protein to produce a complex that can no longer bind to the operator.
inducible A gene or gene product whose transcription or synthesis is increased by exposure of the cells to an inducer or to a condition, e.g. heat.
inducible enzyme An enzyme that is synthesized only in the presence of the substrate that acts as an inducer.
inducible gene A gene that is expressed only in the presence of a specific metabolite, the inducer.
inducible promoter The activation of a promoter in response to either the presence of a particular compound, i.e. the inducer, or to a defined external condition, e.g.
Induction The act or process of causing some specific effect to occur; for example the transcription of a specific gene or operon, or the production of a protein by…
induction media 1. Media used to induce the formation of organs or other structures. 2. Media causing variation or mutation in the tissues exposed to it.
inembryonation See: artificial inembryonation.
Infection Invasion and multiplication of germs in the body. Infections can occur in any part of the body and can spread throughout the body.
infectious agent Synonym of pathogen.
infiltrate The entry of liquid into pores or other spaces.
inflorescence The flowers of a plant, and the way those flowers are arranged.
inheritance The transmission of genes and phenotypes from generation to generation.
inhibitor 1. Any substance or object that retards a chemical reaction. 2. A metabolite or modifier gene that interferes with a reaction or with the expression of…
Initial Being first, before anything else occurs.
initiation Causing something to start. 1. Early steps or stages of a tissue culture process. 2. Early stages of biosynthesis.
Initiation codon The mRNA sequence AUG, coding for methionine, which initiates translation of mRNA.
initiation factor Soluble protein required for the initiation of translation.
inoculate Deliberately introduce, in contrast to contamination. 1. In bacteriology, tissue culture, etc.
inoculation cabinet Small room or cabinet for inoculation (of tissue or micro-organism cultures) operations, often with a current of sterile air to carry contaminants away…
inoculum (pl.: inocula) 1. A small piece of tissue cut from callus, or an explant from a tissue or organ, or a small amount of cell material from a suspension…
Inorganic compound Historically, chemicals that could not be derived from living processes. In modern usage, chemicals that do not contain carbon, although carbonates and a…
inositol (ih-NAH-sih-TOL) A type of sugar that has a different chemical structure than glucose (the chief source of energy for living organisms).
Inositol lipid A membrane-anchored phospholipid that transduces hormonal signals by stimulating the release of any of several chemical messengers. (See Phospholipid.)
insecticide A substance that kills insects.
insert 1. To incorporate a DNA molecule into a cloning vector; also used as a noun to describe such a DNA molecule. 2.
insertion element Generic term for DNA sequences found in bacteria capable of genome insertion. Postulated to be responsible for site-specific phage and plasmid integration.
insertion mutation Changes in the base sequence of a DNA molecule resulting from the random integration of DNA from another source. See: mutation.
Insertion mutations Changes in the base sequence of a DNA molecule resulting from the random integration of DNA from another source. See DNA, Mutation.
insertion sequence See: insertion element.
insertion site 1. A unique restriction site in a molecule into which foreign DNA can readily be inserted.
Instability A lack of consistent phenotype, usually as a result of uncontrolled genetic changes.
insulin (IN-su-lin) A hormone made by the islet cells of the pancreas. Insulin controls the amount of sugar in the blood by moving it into the cells, where it can…
integrating vector A vector that is designed to integrate cloned DNA into the host's chromosomal DNA.
Integration The recombination process which inserts a small DNA molecule (usually by homologous recombination) into a larger one.
integration-excision region (Abbreviation: I/E). The portion of bacteriophage lambda (ë) DNA that enables ë-DNA to be inserted into a specific site in the E.
integument One of the layers that enclosed the ovule, and is the precursor of the seed coat.
intellectual property rights (Abbreviation: IPR). The legal framework, which includes patenting and plant variety protection, by which inventors control the commercial application of…