Unit 2, Module 2 Glossary

Question 0

Basal sprouts (root suckers)

Answer 0

A type of vegetative propagation, where new growth form from meristem tissue close to the ground.

Question 1

Vegetative propogation

Answer 1

The production of structure in an organism that can grow into new individual organisms. These offspring contain the same genetic information as the parent and so are clones of the parent.

Question 2

Clonal patch

Answer 2

When root suckers grown into a circle of new elms.

Question 3

Tissue culture

Answer 3

The separation of cells of any tissue type and their growth in or on a nutrient medium. In plants, the undifferentiated callus tissue is gron in nutrient medium containing plant hormones that stimulate development of the complete plant.

Question 4

Explant

Answer 4

A piece of tissue taken from a particular plant then sterilised in order to grow a callus in tissue culture micropropagation

Question 6

Totipotent stem cells

Answer 6

Stem cells that can differentiate into any type of specialised cells found in organisms of that species.

Question 7

Cloned animal

Answer 7

On tat has been produced using the same genetic information as another animal. Such an animal has the same genotype as the donor organism.

Question 8

Biotechnology

Answer 8

Technology based on biology and involves the exploitation of living organisms or biological processes, to improve agriculture, animal husbandry, food science, medicine and industry.

Question 9

Culture

Answer 9

A growth of microorganisms. This may be a single species or a mixture of species. Microorganisms can be cultures in a liquid such as nutrient broth, or on a solid surface such as nutrient agar gel.

Question 10

Primary metabolite

Answer 10

Any metabolite which is formed as part of the normal growth of a microorganism. During growth the lipids, proteins, carbohydrates and waste products generated by the microorganism in order to grow in numbers are described as primary metabolites.

Question 11

Secondary metabolites

Answer 11

A metabolite produced by a microorganism, usually in the latter stages of growth as the culture ages. Secondary metabolites are not specifically required for the organism to grow. They usually have antibiotic properties.

Question 12

Aseptic technique

Answer 12

Any measure taken at any point in a biotechnology process to ensure that unwanted microorganisms do not contaminate the culture that is being grown or the products that are extracted.

Question 13

Aspesis

Answer 13

The absence of unwanted microorganisms.

Question 14

Batch culture

Answer 14

A culture of microorganisms that takes place in a single fermentation. Products are separated from the mixture at the end of the fermentation process.

Question 15

Continuous culture

Answer 15

A culture of microorganisms set up in a reaction vessel to which substrates are added and from which products are removed as the fermentation process continues.

Question 16

Contaminant

Answer 16

Any unwanted microorganism in a culture.

Question 17

Immobilisation

Answer 17

Any technique where enzyme molecules are held, separated from the reaction mixture. Substrate molecules can bind to the enzyme molecules and the products formed go back into the reaction mixture leaving the enzyme molecules in place.

Question 18

Downstream processing

Answer 18

The process involved in the separation and purification of any product of large-scale fermentations.

Question 19

Callus

Answer 19

A mass of undifferentiated plant cells formed by meristem tissue extracted from the plant and is grown in tissue culture.