Agricultural Biotechnology: to alter living organisms to produce products beneficial to agricultural uses, including selective breeding. Modern Biotechnology involves the science of genetic engineering. 

 

Alternative mRNA splicing: production of various proteins from one gene. Products include involving or removing exons to form final transcripts

 

Antibiotic: substances that inhibit the growth of bacteria 

 

Artificial Insemination: to manually insert semen inside the reproductive tract of a female for safety and efficiency

 

Artificial selection: choosing particular animals to breed for their desirable traits

 

 

Bacterium: unicellular microorganisms that lack a nucleus and organelles

 

Bioethics: study of controversial topics 

 

Breed: a group of specific organisms that distinguish them from the member of the same species

 

 

Chromosome: threadlike structure of nucleic acids and proteins found in the nucleus of a cell

 

Clone: identical genetic copy of an organism

 

 

Donor: an organism that is responsible for donating a cell, organ, etc.

 

 

 

Embryo: an organism in its early stage of development. Used for a variety of techniques: SCNT, transgenic organisms, cloning, etc.

 

 

 

Fertilization: the union of a sperm and egg to form an early stage organism; zygote

 

 

Gene: located on the chromosome, encodes for a specific protein; functional unit of hereditary

 

Genome: The entire set of genes that create an organism

 

Genetic engineering: Altering an organism’s characteristics by genetically modifying its genetic material

 

GMO: abbreviation for genetically modified organism

 

 

 

Host: an organism, in which another microorganism such as a parasite resides

 

 

Linkage map: reveals any linkage groups; genes that are inherited together during meiosis

 

 

 

Mapping: to determine the location of a specific gene by observing images of chromosomes

 

Microbe: A microorganism

 

Microinjection: to inject a micro amount of liquid substance via a micropipette

 

Molecular Biology: the study of molecules and their interactions and relations to other biology subjects

 

Molecular Cloning: using molecular biology to experiment with and replicate DNA molecules

 

mRNA: Messenger RNA

 

Mutation: A change in the genetic sequence of an organism; may or may not yield phenotype results

 

 

Nucleotide: subunits of DNA

 

 

Pathogen: bacteria, virus, or any other organism responsible for causing infectious diseases among other organisms

 

Phenotype: results of gene alleles that are observable

 

Plasmids: is a circular DNA molecule capable of replication; transfer genes between bacteria

 

 

 

Recombinant DNA: involves fragmenting and combing genes in such a manner that the isolated genes differ in both structure and function

 

Restriction enzyme: an enzyme responsible for cutting DNA at specific sites

 

Retrovirus: Viruses that replicate themselves within a host organism

 

 

SCNT: somatic nuclear transfer

 

Somatic cell: any cell in the body that does not include germ (reproductive) cells

 

 

 

Transgenic animals: an organism that has been genetically altered or manipulated with a foreign gene of another animal

 

 

Vaccine: the induction of dead or weakened pathogens so as to produce antibodies against the specific disease

 

Virus: a nonliving particle, that relies on its host for replication

 

 

Yield: the amount of agriculture product in a season; can be measured in pounds, kilograms, or metric tons