Food Biotechnology — page 29 of 34

3,375 terms

Food Biotechnology terms

  1. scion A twig or bud used for grafting onto another plant or rootstock.
  2. scion-stock interaction The effect of a rootstock on a scion (and vice versa) in which a particular scion grafted onto a specific s performs differently than it would either on…
  3. sclerenchyma A strengthening tissue in plants, composed of cells with heavily lignified cell walls.
  4. SCP Standing Committee on the Law of Patents
  5. Scrapie A spongiform encephalopathy disease of sheep. See: proteinaceous infectious particle.
  6. screen A screen is a set of criteria against which you measure stocks or other investments to find those that meet your criteria.
  7. SDS Abbreviation for sodium dodecyl sulphate.
  8. SDS-PAGE Abbreviation for sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.
  9. secondary antibody In an ELISA or other immunological assay system, the antibody designed to bind to the primary antibody, and to which a label is generally attached.
  10. secondary cell wall The innermost layer of cell wall, giving rigidity to the cells. Characterized by its highly organized microfibrillar structure, and only formed in certain…
  11. secondary growth Type of growth characterized by an increase in the thickness of stem and root, and resulting from the formation of secondary s by the vascular cambium.
  12. secondary immune response The rapid immune response that occurs during the second (and subsequent) encounters of the immune system of a mammal with a specific antigen.
  13. secondary messenger A chemical compound within a cell that is responsible for initiating the response to a signal from a chemical messenger (such as a hormone) that cannot…
  14. secondary metabolism The production by living organisms of substances not essential for primary metabolic functions or physiology.
  15. secondary metabolite Product of secondary metabolism.
  16. secondary oocyte See: oocyte.
  17. secondary phloem Phloem tissue formed by the vascular cambium during secondary growth in a vascular plant.
  18. secondary plant product See: secondary metabolite.
  19. secondary root A branch or lateral root.
  20. secondary spermatocyte See: spermatocyte.
  21. secondary structure Localized three dimensional conformations adopted by macromolecules, in particular nucleic acids and polypeptides.
  22. secondary thickening Deposition of secondary cell wall materials which result in an increase in thickness in stems and roots.
  23. secondary vascular tissue Vascular tissue (xylem and phloem ) formed by the vascular cambium during secondary growth in a vascular plant.
  24. secondary xylem See: secondary vascular tissue.
  25. secretion The transport of a molecule from the inside of a cell through the cell membrane.
  26. SEED Botanically, the matured ovule without accessory parts. Colloquially, anything which may be sown; i.e.
  27. seed storage proteins Proteins accumulated in large amounts in protein bodies within seed s. They act as a source of amino acids during germination.
  28. segment-polarity gene A gene that functions to define the anterior and posterior components of body segments in Drosophila.
  29. segregant An individual derived from a cross between two unlike parents.
  30. segregation For genes, the separation of allele pairs from one another and their resulting assortment into different cells at meiosis.
  31. selectable Having a gene product that, when present, enables the identification and preferential propagation of a particular genotype. See: reporter gene.
  32. Selectable marker A gene whose expression allows one to identify cells that have been transforrned or transfected with a vector containing the marker gene.
  33. selection 1. Differential survival and reproduction of phenotypes . 2. A system for either isolating or identifying specific genotypes in a mixed population.
  34. selection coefficient A measure of the intensity of selection at a locus, commonly abbreviated as s. It represents the proportionate reduction in the gametic contribution of a…
  35. selection culture A selection based on difference(s) in environmental conditions or in culture medium composition, such that preferred variant cells or cell lines…
  36. selection differential The difference between the mean of the individuals selected to be parents and the mean of the overall population; it represents the average superiority of…
  37. selection pressure The intensity of selection acting on a population of organisms or on cells in culture.
  38. selection response The difference between the mean of the individuals selected to be parents and the mean of their offspring.
  39. Selective breeding Making deliberate crosses or matings of organisms so the offspring will have a desired characteristic derived from one of the parents.
  40. self-incompatibility In plants, the inability of the pollen to fertilize ovules (female gametes) of the same plant.
  41. Self-pollination Pollen of one plant is transferred to the female part of the same plant or another plant with the same genetic makeup.
  42. self-replicating elements Extrachromosomal DNA elements that have origins of replication for the initiation of their own DNA synthesis.
  43. self-sterility Synonym of self-incompatibility.
  44. SEM Abbreviation for scanning electron microscope.
  45. semen sexing Synonym of sperm sexing.
  46. semi-conservative replication During DNA duplication, each strand of a parent DNA molecule acts as a template for the synthesis of a new complementary strand.
  47. semi-continuous culture Cells in an actively dividing state which are maintained in culture by periodically draining off the medium and replenishing it with fresh medium.
  48. semi-permeable membrane A natural or synthetic material which selectively allows the passage of certain ions or molecules.
  49. semi-sterility The condition of partial fertility. Often associated with chromosomal aberrations or the result of mutagenesis.
  50. Semiconservative replication During DNA duplication, each strand of a parent DNA molecule is a template for the synthesis of its new complementary strand.
  51. senescence A late stage in the development of multicellular organisms, during which irreversible loss of function and degradation of biological components occur.
  52. sense RNA The RNA transcript of the coding strand DNA (often represented as the (+)-strand). Opposite: antisense RNA.
  53. Sensitivity When referring to a medical test, sensitivity refers to the percentage of people who test positive for a specific disease among a group of people who have…
  54. sepsis (SEP-sis) The presence of bacteria or their toxins in the blood or tissues.
  55. septate (SEP-tate) An organ or structure that is divided into compartments.
  56. septum A dividing wall or partition, which splits a structure into separate cells or compartments.
  57. sequence The linear order of nucleotides along a DNA or RNA molecule, and the process of obtaining this.
  58. sequence characterized amplified region (Abbreviation: SCAR). A molecular marker obtained by the conversion to a sequence-tagged site of a single random amplified polymorphic DNA product.
  59. sequence divergence The percent difference in the nucleotide sequence between related nucleic acid sequences, or in the amino acid sequence in a comparison between related…
  60. Sequence hypothesis Francis Crick's seminal concept that genetic information exists as a linear DNA code; DNA and protein sequence are colinear.
  61. Sequence tagged site (STS) A unique (single-copy) DNA sequence used as a mapping landmark on a chromosome.
  62. sequence tandem repeat (Abbreviation: STR). See: tandem repeat.
  63. sequence-tagged site (Abbreviation: STS). Short unique DNA sequence (200-500 bp long) that can be amplified by PCR and is thus tagged to the site on the chromosome from which…
  64. serial division Splitting of excised shoot-tip material growing in vitro, in order to induce the development of greater numbers of plantlets.
  65. serial float culture A technique whereby immature anthers are floated on a liquid medium, and continue their development through to the release of pollen.
  66. Serology The branch of science dealing with the measurement and characterization of antibodies and other immunological substances in body fluids, particularly…
  67. serum The clear liquid part of the blood that remains after blood cells and clotting proteins have been removed.
  68. serum albumin The main protein in blood plasma. Low levels of serum albumin occur in people with malnutrition, inflammation, and serious liver and kidney disease.
  69. sewage treatment A widespread biotechnological processes in developed economies. Methods vary widely, but all are designed for the biological break-down of human and…
  70. sex chromosome Differentiated chromosome which is responsible for the determination of sex of the individual.
  71. sex determination Any method by which the distinction between males and females is established in a species, particularly at an early stage of foetal development.
  72. sex duction The incorporation of bacterial genes into F factors and their subsequent transfer, by conjugation, to a recipient cell.
  73. sex factor A bacterial episome (e.g. the F plasmid in E. coli ) that enables the cell to be a donor of genetic material.
  74. sex hormones Steroid hormones that control sexual development in animals.
  75. sex linkage Referring to genes present on one of the sex chromosomes, thus genetically linked to the sex of the individual.
  76. sex mosaic Synonym of gynandromorph.
  77. sex-influenced dominance The tendency for gene action to vary between the sexes within a species. For example, the presence of horns in some breeds of sheep appears to be dominant…
  78. sex-limited Expression of a trait in only one sex; e.g. milk production in mammals; egg production in chickens.
  79. sexed embryos Embryos separated according to sex.
  80. Sexual reproduction The process where two cells (gametes) fuse to form one hybrid, fertilized cell. See Asexual reproduction, Gamete, Hybrid.
  81. shake culture An agitated suspension in culture providing adequate aeration for cells in the liquid medium.
  82. shaker A platform, with set or variable speed control, used to agitate vessels containing liquid cell cultures. Also described as a platform shaker.
  83. Shear Literally the sliding of one layer across another, with deformation and fracturing in the direction parallel to the movement.
  84. Shine-Dalgarno sequence A conserved sequence of prokaryotic mRNAs that is complementary to a sequence near the 5' terminus of the 16S ribosomal RNA and is involved in the…
  85. shoot apex See: shoot tip.
  86. shoot differentiation The development of growing points, leaf primordia and finally shoots from a shoot tip, axial bud, or callus surface.
  87. shoot tip The terminal bud (0.1 - 1.0 mm) of a plant, which consists of the apical meristem (0.05 - 0.
  88. shoot-tip graft A shoot tip or meristem tip grafted onto a prepared seedling or micropropagated rootstock in culture.
  89. short interspersed nuclear element (Abbreviation: SINE ). Families of short (150-300 bp), moderately repetitive DNA elements of eukaryotic genomes.
  90. short-day plant A plant which will not flower until triggered to do so by exposure to one or a number of dark periods equal to or longer than its critical period.
  91. shotgun genome sequencing A strategy for sequencing a whole genome, in which the genomic DNA is initially fragmented into pieces small enough to be sequenced.
  92. shuttle vector A plasmid capable of replicating in two different host organisms because it carries two different origins of replication and can therefore be used to…
  93. sib-mating The deliberate crossing of siblings. Generally done where self-incompatibility prevents the production of self-fertilized progeny.
  94. siderophore A low molecular weight entity that binds very tightly to iron. Siderophores are synthesized by a variety of soil micro-organisms to ensure that the…
  95. sieve cell A long and slender sieve element in vascular plants, characterized by relatively unspecialized sieve areas and tapering end walls that lack sieve plates.
  96. sieve element The phloem cell concerned with longitudinal conduction of food materials.
  97. sieve plate Perforated wall area in a sieve tube element, through which strands connecting sieve tube protoplasts can pass.
  98. sieve tube A tube within the phloem tissue of a plant, composed of joined sieve elements.
  99. sigma factor The sub-unit of prokaryotic RNA polymerases responsible for the initiation of transcription at specific initiation sequences.
  100. signal peptide See: signal sequence.

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