MI Unit 1 Vocab Flashcards
Antibody
An antigen-binding immunoglobulin, produced by B cells, that functions as the effector in an immune response
Antigen
A foreign macromolecule that does not belong to the host organism and elicits an immune response
Bioinformatics
The collection, classification, storage, and analysis of biochemical and biological information using computers especially as applied in molecular genetics and genomics
Concentration
The amount of a specified substance in a unit amount of another substance
ELISA (Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay)
A quantitative in vitro test for an antibody or antigen in which the test material is absorbed on a surface and exposed either to a complex of an enzyme linked to an antibody specific for the antigen or an enzyme linked to an anti-immunoglobulin specific for the antibody followed by reaction of the enzyme with a substrate to yield a colored product corresponding to the concentration of the test material
Enzyme
A protein serving as a catalyst; a chemical agent that changes the rate of reaction without being consumed by the reaction
Genome
The complement of an organism’s genes; an organism’s genetic material
Medical Intervention
Any measure whose purpose is to improve health or alter the course of disease
Outbreak
A sudden rise in the incidence of a disease
Pathogen
A specific causative agent of disease
Primer
A molecule (a short strand of RNA or DNA) whose presence is required for formation of another molecule (a longer chain of DNA)
Serial dilution
A stepwise dilution of a substance in solution
Solute
A substance dissolved in another substance
Solution
A homogeneous mixture of two or more substances, which may be solids, liquids, gases, or a combination of these
Solvent
A substance, usually a liquid, capable of dissolving another substance
Substrate
The reactant on which an enzyme works
Antibiotic
A substance produced by or derived from a microorganism and able in dilute solution to inhibit or kill another microorganism
Antibiotic Resistance
Resistance to one or more antibiotics, usually due to additional genetic information
Conjugation
The one-way transfer of DNA between bacteria in cellular contact
Nucleoid
The DNA-containing area of a bacterial cell
Plasmid
A small ring of DNA that carries accessory genes separate from those of the bacterial chromosome
Transduction
The transfer of genetic material from one organism (such as a bacterium) to another by a genetic vector
Transformation
The genetic modification of a bacterium by incorporation of free DNA from another ruptured bacterial cell
