Food Biotechnology — page 24 of 34

3,375 terms

Food Biotechnology terms

  1. Penetrance The proportion of individuals in a population that express the phenotype expected from their genotype with respect to a specific gene.
  2. peptidase An enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of a peptide bond.
  3. peptide Any compound consisting of two or more amino acids, the building blocks of proteins.
  4. peptide bond The chemical bond holding amino acid residues together in peptides and proteins.
  5. peptide expression library A collection of peptide molecules, produced by recombinant cells, in which the amino acid sequences are varied.
  6. peptide nucleic acid (Abbreviation: PNA). A synthetic oligonucleotide analogue, in which the sugar backbone is replaced by a peptide chain, upon which the nucleoside residues…
  7. peptide vaccine A short chain of amino acids that can induce antibodies against a specific infectious agent.
  8. peptidyl transferase An enzyme bound tightly to the large sub-unit of the ribosome, that catalyses the formation of peptide bonds between amino acids during translation.
  9. peptidyl-tRNA binding site (Abbreviation: P-site). The site on a ribosome that hosts the tRNA to which the next amino acid for the growing polypeptide chain is attached.
  10. perennial A plant that flowers continuously for several years.
  11. pericentric inversion A chromosomal rearrangement in which a segment of chromosome, including the centromere, is rotated.
  12. periclinal The orientation of cell wall or plane of cell division parallel to the reference surface.
  13. periclinal chimera 1. Genotypically or cytoplasmically different tissues arranged in concentric layers. 2.
  14. pericycle Region of the plant bounded externally by the endodermis and internally by the phloem. Most roots originate from the pericycle.
  15. periplasm The space between the cell (cytoplasmic) membrane of a bacterium or fungus and the outer membrane or cell wall. Synonym: periplasmic space.
  16. permanent wilting point (Abbreviation: PWP). The moisture content of a soil below which plants wilt to such an extent that they fail to recover even when fully watered.
  17. Permeable Referring to a membrane, cell or cell system through which small molecules can diffuse.
  18. persistence Ability of an organism to remain in a particular setting for a period of time after it is introduced.
  19. Persistent Chemicals with a long inactivation or degradation time, such as some pesticides.
  20. PERV Abbreviation for porcine endogenous retrovirus.
  21. Pesticide (PES-tih-side) Any substance that is used to kill insects and other pests.
  22. Pesticide resistance A genetic change in response to selection by a pesticide, resulting in the development of strains capable of surviving a dose lethal to most individuals…
  23. petal One of the parts of the flower that make up the corolla.
  24. petiole Stalk of leaf. See: pedicel; peduncle.
  25. Petri dish Flat round glass or plastic dish with a matching lid, used for small-scale culturing of organisms, germinating seeds etc.
  26. PFGE Abbreviation for pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.
  27. PG One of several hormone-like substances made by the body. Different PGs control blood pressure, contraction of smooth muscles, and other processes within…
  28. pH A measurement for liquids to determine acidity or alkalinity. On a scale of one to 14, seven is considered neutral.
  29. pH-electrode-based sensor Sensor in which a standard pH electrode is coated with a biological material. Many biological processes raise or lower pH, and the changes can be detected…
  30. Phage Abbreviation for bacteriophage.
  31. Phage (particle) See Bacteriophage.
  32. phagemids Cloning vectors that contain components derived from both phage and plasmid DNA.
  33. phagocytes Immune system cells that ingest and destroy viruses, bacteria, fungi and other foreign substances or cells.
  34. phagocytosis (FA-goh-sy-TOH-sis) The process by which a phagocyte (a type of white blood cell) surrounds and destroys foreign substances (such as bacteria) and removes…
  35. pharmaceutical agent See: therapeutic agent.
  36. pharmacokinetics (FAR-muh-koh-kih-NEH-tix) The activity of drugs in the body over a period of time, including the processes by which drugs are absorbed, distributed in the…
  37. Phase Change A method of storing information on rewritable optical discs.
  38. phase state The coupling or repulsion of two linked genes.
  39. PHB Abbreviation for polyhydroxybutyrate.
  40. Phenocopy An environmentally induced, non hereditary variation in an organism, resembling a genetically determined trait.
  41. phenolic oxidation Common aspect of the wound response in plants. Phenolic oxidation is often indicated by blackening of tissue and it may be a precursor to growth…
  42. phenolics Compounds with hydroxyl group(s) attached to the benzene ring, forming esters, ethers and salts.
  43. Phenotype The observable characteristics of an organism, the expression of gene alleles (genotype) as an observable physical or biochemical trait. See Genotype.
  44. Pheromone A hormone-like substance that is secreted into the environment.
  45. phloem Specialized vascular plant tissue for the transport of assimilates (generally sugars) from the point of synthesis (in the leaf) to other parts of the…
  46. Phosphatase An enzyme that hydrolyzes esters of phosphoric acid, removing a phosphate group.
  47. phosphodiester (phospho-diester) bond A bond in which a phosphate group joins adjacent carbons through ester linkages.
  48. Phosphodiester bond A bond in which a phosphate group joins adjacent carbons through ester linkages.
  49. phospholipase A2 An enzyme which degrades type A2 phospholipids.
  50. phospholipid A lipid (fat) that contains phosphorus. Phospholipids are a major part of cell membranes.
  51. phosphorolysis The cleavage of a bond by orthophosphate; analogous to hydrolysis referring to cleavage by water.
  52. Phosphorylation The addition of a phosphate group to a compound.
  53. photo-bioreactor Bioreactor dependent on sunlight, which is taken up by its content of plant material, usually algae.
  54. photoautotroph See:.
  55. photoheterotroph See: heterotroph.
  56. photoperiod The length of daylight or period of daily illumination provided for growth.
  57. photoperiodism The photoperiod required by a plant to switch from the vegetative to the reproductive stage.
  58. photophosphorylation The formation of ATP from ADP and inorganic phosphate using light energy harvested by photosynthesis.
  59. photoreactivation A light dependent DNA repair process.
  60. photosynthate The carbohydrates and other compounds produced in photosynthesis.
  61. Photosynthesis A chemical process by which green plants synthesize organic compounds from carbon dioxide and water in the presence of sunlight.
  62. photosynthetic Able to use sunlight energy to convert atmospheric carbon dioxide into organic compounds.
  63. photosynthetic efficiency Efficiency of converting light energy into organic compounds.
  64. photosynthetic photon flux (Abbreviation: PPF). A measure of the intensity of light utilized by plants for photosynthetic activity.
  65. photosynthetically active radiation (Abbreviation: PAR). The part of the radiant energy that is capturable by natural photosynthetic systems (approximately equivalent to the natural light…
  66. phototropism The tendency of plants to direct shoot growth towards the source of light.
  67. phylogeny The deduced evolutionary history of related organisms.
  68. Physical map A map showing physical locations on a DNA molecule, such as restriction sites, and sequence-tagged sites. (See Mapping.)
  69. phyto- (Prefix) To do with plants.
  70. phytochemical (FY-toh-KEH-mih-kuhl) A substance found in plants. Some phytochemicals may reduce the risk of cancer.
  71. phytochrome A pigment, found in the cytoplasm of green plants, which can exist in two forms Pr (biologically inactive) and Pfr (biologically active).
  72. phytohormone A substance that stimulates growth or other processes in plants. Major species are auxin s, abscisic acid, cytokinin s, gibberellin s and ethylene.
  73. phytokinin See: cytokinin.
  74. phytoparasite Parasite on plants.
  75. phytoparasitic (adj.) See: phytoparasite.
  76. phytopathogen A plant pathogen.
  77. phytoremediation The use of plants actively to remove contaminants or pollutants from either soils (e.g. polluted fields) or water resources (e.g. polluted lakes).
  78. phytosanitary Plant health, including quarantine.
  79. phytostat Apparatus designed for the semi-continuous chemostatic culture of plant cells.
  80. phytosterol A plant-based compound that can compete with dietary cholesterol to be absorbed by the intestines, resulting in lower blood cholesterol levels.
  81. pigment A substance that gives color to tissue. Pigments are responsible for the color of skin, eyes, and hair.
  82. pinocytosis The engulfing of a minute droplet of liquid by a living cell.
  83. pipette Widely used device for accurate dispensing of small volumes of liquids.
  84. pistil Central organ of the flower, typically consisting of ovary, style and stigma. Usually referred to as the female part of a perfect flower.
  85. plant breeders' rights (Abbreviation: PBR). Legal protection of a new plant variety granted to the breeder or his successor in title.
  86. plant cell culture In vitro growth of plant cells.
  87. plant cell immobilization Entrapment of plant cells in gel matrices so that they are protected from physical damage.
  88. plant genetic resources (Abbreviation: PGR). The reproductive or vegetative propagating material of: 1.
  89. plant growth regulator An organic compound, either natural or synthetic, and other than a nutrient, that modifies or controls one or more specific physiological processes within…
  90. plant hormone See: plant growth regulator.
  91. Plant Pest Act (PPA) See U.S. Department of Agriculture.
  92. Plant Variety Act (PVA) See U.S. Department of Agriculture.
  93. plant variety protection (Abbreviation: PVP). Synonym for plant breeders' rights.
  94. plant variety rights See: plant breeders' rights.
  95. Plant-incorporated protectants Formerly referred to as plant-pesticides, plant-incorporated protectants (PIPs) are substances that act like pesticides produced and used by a plant to…
  96. plantibody An antibody expressed transgenically in an engineered plant.
  97. plantlet A small rooted shoot regenerated from cell culture following embryogenesis or organogenesis.
  98. plaque A film of mucus that traps bacteria on the surface of the teeth. Plaque can be removed with daily brushing and flossing of teeth.
  99. Plasma (PLAZ-muh) The clear, yellowish, fluid part of the blood that carries the blood cells. The proteins that form blood clots are in plasma.
  100. plasma cells Antibody-producing white blood cells derived from B lymphocyte s.

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