BS12010 - jargon

Absorbance

a measure of the amount of light absorbed by a substance

Accurate

how close a measurement is to the “true” value

Aliquot

a portion of a larger whole, especially a sample taken for chemical analysis or other treatment

Alleles

one of two or more versions of a gene at a specific locus on a chromosome.

Allometry

the study of how body shape, anatomy, physiology, and behavior change disproportionately in relation to changes in body size or growth

Amplification

making multiple copies of a gene or DNA sequence

Anemia

a condition marked by a deficiency of healthy red blood cells or hemoglobin

Anode

a negative electrode

Anterior

nearer the front, especially in the front of the body, or nearer to the head or forepart

Antibiotic

a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria

Aqueous

An aqueous solution forms when a substance dissolves in water

Aseptic

free from contamination caused by harmful bacteria, viruses, or other microorganisms; surgically sterile or sterilized

Aspirate

to draw by suction, to remove (something such as blood) by aspiration, to take into the lungs by aspiration

Assay

an investigative, analytical procedure used in laboratory medicine, pharmacology, and environmental biology to qualitatively assess or quantitatively measure the presence, amount, or functional activity of a target entity (analyte)

Blank

a control sample containing all reagents, solvents, and buffers used in an experiment except the analyte

Branchial

of, relating to, or supplying the gills or associated structures or their embryonic precursors

Calibrate

to standardize (something, such as a measuring instrument) by determining the deviation from a standard so as to ascertain the proper correction factors

Cathode

the negatively charged electrode by which electrons enter an electrical device.

Caudal

the anatomical direction towards the tail, posterior, or inferior end of an organism

Cloned

a plant or animal that has the same genes as the original from which it was produced

Cuvette

a small, straight-sided, clear container (tube) used in laboratories to hold liquid samples for optical measurements, such as spectrophotometry

Decant

to draw off (a liquid) without disturbing the sediment or the lower liquid layers

Dermal

an adjective relating to the skin, specifically the dermis layer

Distal

situated away from the centre of the body or from the point of attachment.

Dorsal

on or relating to the upper side or back of an animal, plant, or organ.

Electrophoresis

a laboratory technique that uses an electric current to separate charged molecules, such as DNA, RNA, or proteins, based on their size, shape, and electrical charge

Eluate

the solution containing material (such as separated substances or antibodies) that has been washed out or extracted from an adsorbent material during the process of elution

Elute

extract or wash out one material from another using a solvent

Elution

a separation process that removes an adsorbed substance (analyte) from an adsorbent material by washing it with a solvent, known as the eluent

Epithelium

layers of cells that line hollow organs and glands

Eppendorf

single use microcentrifuge tubes

Equilibration

Act of keeping a balance, or state of being balanced

Frontal

relating to or located in the front

Genome

the complete set of genetic instructions (DNA) containing all information required for an organism to develop and function

Homologous

having the same relative position, value, or structure, or pairing at meiosis and having the same structural features and pattern of genes

Incubation

a process of allowing inoculated cultures to grow under specific conditions of temperature, atmosphere, and duration, tailored to the requirements of different pathogens.

Invert

put upside down or in the opposite position, order, or arrangement

Ladder – fragments of known size used in gel electrophoresis as a reference to estimate the size of unknown molecules

Lateral – to the side of, or away from, the middle of the body

Ligated – DNA or RNA fragments joined together by a ligase

Lysate

A fluid containing the contents of lysed cells

Mandible

a bone that makes up the lower and typically more mobile component of the mouth

Matrix

the material (or tissue) in between cells within an eukaryotic organism

Media

a gel or liquid that contains nutrients and is used to grow bacteria or microorganisms

Microtitre

multi-well plates

Miniprep

a technique that allows us to isolate plasmid DNA from bacterial cultures

Oligonucleotide

short single strands of synthetic DNA or RNA that serve as the starting point for many molecular biology and synthetic biology applications

Pectoral

located on the anterior chest wall

Pellet

the solid or dense, hard-packed concentration of particles (such as cells, organelles, or precipitates) that accumulates at the bottom of a centrifuge tube after being subjected to high-speed rotation

Pericardial

of, relating to, or affecting the pericardium / situated around the heart

Precise

measurements that have been repeated and are similar

Phenotype

the set of observable characteristics or traits of an organism

Plasmid

a small circular DNA molecule found in bacteria and some other microscopic organisms

Polyacrylamide

water-soluble synthetic linear polymers made of acrylamide or the combination of acrylamide and acrylic acid, used in protein separations because it is chemically inert, electrically neutral, hydrophilic, and transparent for optical detection at wavelengths greater than 250 nm

Polymorphism

when there are two or more possibilities of a trait on a gene.

Posterior

pertains to the back of the body

Primers

a short nucleic acid sequence that provides a starting point for DNA synthesis

Proximal

parts of a feature that are close to the main mass of the body

Reagent

a substance or compound added to a system to cause a reaction

Rostral

refers to the anterior (front) aspect of the head

Sagittal

a vertical plane which passes through the body longitudinally. It divides the body into a left section and a right section

Sepharose

a support material used in enzyme coupling processes

Squamous

large, flattened cells filled with cytoplasm possessing a small round nucleus at the centre. They are flat and have an irregularly round shape

Substrate

the surface on which an organism (such as a plant, fungus, or animal) lives or the substance on which an enzyme can act

Supernatant

the liquid overlying material deposited by settling, precipitation, or centrifugation

Terminal

Forming or pertaining to an end, placed at the end

Transverse

an anatomical plane that is perpendicular to the sagittal plane and the coronal plane

Ventral

the anatomical orientation of a cavity, which is located at the front or anterior portion of the body

Vibrio

a group of moderately halophilic bacteria that are widely distributed in aquatic environments from freshwater to deep

Vortex

is a simple device used commonly in laboratories to mix small vials of liquid.

Alimentary

long tube of organs makes a pathway for food to travel through the body

Inoculate

to introduce microorganisms or viruses onto or into (an organism, substrate, or culture medium)