Science / Genetics Glossary

Unesco: United national educational, scientific, and cultural organization.

Uracil: A nitrogenous base normally found in rna but not dna: uracil is capable of forming a base pair with adenine.

Variable Number Tandem Repeats (VNTR): Any gene whose alleles contain different numbers of tandemly repeated oligonucleotide sequences.

Vector: A self-replicating dna molecule that transfers a dna segment between host cells.

Virus: A noncellular biological entity that can reproduce only within a host cell. Viruses consist of nucleic acid covered by protein: some animal viruses are also surrounded by membrane. Inside th . . . View Full Definition

Von Hippel-Lindau Syndrome: An autosomal dominant condition characterized by the anomalous growth and proliferation of blood vessels on the retina of the eye and the cerebellum of the brain: cysts and cancers in the ki . . . View Full Definition

Western Blot: A technique used to identify and locate proteins based on their ability to bind to specific antibodies.

Western Blotting Analysis: A technique used to identify a specific protein: the probe is a radioactively labeled antibody raised against the protein in question.

Wild Type: The form of an organism that occurs most frequently in nature.

X Chromosome: One of the two sex chromosomes, x and y.

X-Inactivation: The repression of one of the two x-chromosomes in the somatic cells of females as a method of dosage compensation: at an early embryonic stage in the normal female, one of the two x-chromoso . . . View Full Definition

Xenograft: Tissue or organs from an individual of one species transplanted into or grafted onto an organism of another species, genus, or family. A common example is the use of pig heart valves in humans.

XYY Syndrome: Genetic condition in males with extra y chromosome (in 1 in 1000 male births). Symptoms: tall stature (over 6'), may including sterility, developmental delay, learning problems.

Y Chromosome: One of the two sex chromosomes, x and y.

Yeast Artificial Chromosome (YAC): A vector used to clone dna fragments (up to 400 kb): it is constructed from the telomeric, centromeric, and replication origin sequences needed for replication in yeast cells. Compare clonin . . . View Full Definition

Zinc-Finger Protein: A secondary feature of some proteins containing a zinc atom: a DNA-binding protein.

Zoo Blot: northern analysis of mRNA from different organisms.

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