Title: Introduction to Biotechnology : Third Edition
Author: William J. Thieman and Michael A. Palladino
Chapter 1: The Biotechnology Century and Its Workforce
Type: Chapter vocabulary words with glossary definitions
Terms : Hide Images
| 855814766 | Genetically Modified Food | Food derived from sources that have been genetically modified (and must be approved) for consumption. | 0 | |
| 855814767 | Biotechnology | A broad area of science involving many different disciplines designed to use living organisms or their products to perform valuable industrial or manufacturing processes or applications that will solve problems. | 1 | |
| 857213328 | Fermentation | A metabolic process that produces small amounts of ATP from glucose in the absence of oxygen and also creates byproducts such as ethyl alcohol (ethanol) or lactic acid (lactate). Fermenting microbes (bacteria and yeast) are important for producing a variety of beverages and foods, including beer, wine, breads, yogurts, and cheeses. | 2 | |
| 857213329 | Selective Breeding | Mating organisms with desired features to produce offspring with the same characteristics. | 3 | |
| 859207614 | Model Organism | Nonhuman organisms that scientists use to study biologic processes in experimental laboratory conditions; common examples include mice, rats, fruit flies, worms, and bacteria. | 4 | |
| 859207615 | Antibiotic | A substance produced by microorganisms that inhibit the growth of other microorganisms; commonly used to treat bacterial infections in humans, pets, and farm animals. | 5 | |
| 859207616 | Batch (large-scale) Processes | Growing microorganisms such as bacteria or yeast and other living cells such as mammalian cells in large quantities for the purpose of isolating useful products in a batch. | 6 | |
| 859208287 | Gene Cloning | The process of producing multiple copies of a gene. | 7 | |
| 859208288 | Genetic Engineering | The process of altering an organism's DNA. This is usually by design. | 8 | |
| 859208289 | Recombinant DNA Technology | Technique that allows DNA to be combined from different sources; also called gene or DNA splicing. Recombinant DNA is an important technique for many gene-cloning applications. | 9 | |
| 859214947 | Human Genome Project | An international effort with overall scientific goals of identifying all human genes and determining (mapping) their locations to each human chromosome. | 10 | |
| 859214948 | Genome | All the gene's in an organism's DNA. | 11 | |
| 859214949 | Basic Sciences | Research disciplines that examine fundamental aspects of biological processes, often without obvious direct applications (for curing disease or making a product). | 12 | |
| 859214950 | Bioinformatics | Interdisciplinary science that involves developing and applying information technology (computer hardware and software) for analyzing biological data such as DNA and protein sequences; also includes the use of computers for the analysis of molecular structures and creating databases for storing and sharing biological data. | 13 | |
| 859214951 | Genentech | California company. Name derived from genetic-engineering technology. Founded in 1976 and widely recognized as the world's first biotechnology company. | 14 | |
| 859223698 | Recombinant Proteins | Commercially valuable proteins created by recombinant DNA technology and gene-cloning techniques; examples include insulin and growth hormone. | 15 | |
| 859223699 | Cell Culture | Growing cells in laboratory conditions outside of a whole organism (in vitro); usually a term applied to growing mammalian cells. | 16 | |
| 859223700 | Fermenter | Containers for growing cultures of microorganisms or mammalian cells in a batch process. Fermenting vessels allow scientists to control and monitor growth conditions such as temperature, pH, nutrient concentration, and cell density. [These] do not require oxygen when anaerobic organisms are fermenting nutrients. Bioreactors use non-fermenting organisms that require oxygen. | 17 | |
| 859450677 | Bioreactor | [These] are cell systems that produce biologic molecules. | 18 | |
| 859223701 | Gene Therapy | The use of therapeutic genes to treat or cure a disease process; also refers to the delivery of genes to improve a person's health. | 19 | |
| 859223702 | Molecular Pharming | The use of plants as sources of pharmaceutical products. | 20 | |
| 859223703 | Antibodies | Proteins produced in response to a non-elf molecule by the immune system; antigen-binding immunoglobulins, produced by B cells, that function as the effector in an immune response. | 21 | |
| 859223704 | Transgenic Animals | Animals that contain genes from another source. For instance, human genes for clotting proteins can be introduced into cowsfor the production of these proteins in their milk. | 22 | |
| 859223705 | DNA Fingerprinting | An analysis of an organism's unique DNA composition as a characteristic marker or fingerprint for identification purposes, such as forensic analysis, remains identification, and paternity. DNA fingerprinting is also used in biologic research (for example, to compare related species based on the DNA sequences). | 23 | |
| 859223706 | Bioremediation | The use of living organisms to process, degrade, and clean up naturally occurring or man-made pollutants in the environment. | 24 | |
| 859223707 | Aquaculture | Farming finfish, shellfish, or plants for commercial or recreational uses. | 25 | |
| 859223708 | Bioprospecting | Endeavors to capitalize on indigenous knowledge or natural resources. However, [this] may also describe the search for previously unknown compounds in organisms that have never been used in traditional medicine. | 26 | |
| 859223709 | Medical Biotechnology | A diverse discipline of biotechnology dedicated to improving human health; includes a spectrum of topics in human medicine from disease diagnosis to drug discovery, disease treatment, and tissue engineering. | 27 | |
| 859231817 | Stem Cells | Immature (undifferentiated) cells that are capable of forming all mature cell types in animals and that can be derived from embryos at several days age or from adult tissues. | 28 | |
| 859231818 | Quality Assurance (QA) | All activities involved in regulating the final quality of a product, including quality-control measures. | 29 | |
| 859231819 | Quality Control (QC) | Procedures that are part of the QA process involving laboratory testing and monitoring of production processes to ensure consistent product standards (of purity, performance, and the like). | 30 | |
| 859231820 | Proteome | The entire complement of proteins in an organism. | 31 | |
| 859231821 | Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) | Single-nucleotide variations in the gene sequence, or a type of DNA mutation; the basis of genetic variation among humans. | 32 | |
| 859231822 | Mutation | A change in the DNA structure or sequence of a gene. | 33 | |
| 859231823 | DNA Microarray (or gene chip) | A chip consisting of a glass microscope slide containing thousands of pieces of single stranded DNA molecules attached to specific spots on the slide; each spot of DNA is a unique sequence. | 34 | |
| 859231824 | Pharmacogenomics | A form of customized medicine in which disease-treatment strategies are designed based on a person's genetic information (for a particular health condition). | 35 | |
| 859231825 | Chemotherapy | The treatment of cancer and other disease with specific chemical agents or drugs that have a toxic effect on diseased cells or disease-causing microorganisms. | 36 | |
| 859231826 | Metabolomics | A biochemical snapshot of the small molecules produced during cellular metabolism, such as glucose, cholesterol, ATP, and signaling molecules that result from a cellular change. | 37 | |
| 859231827 | Nano-technology | Engineering and structures and technologies at the nanometer scale. | 38 | |
| 859231828 | Small Interfering RNA (siRNA) | Double-stranded RNA molecules, usually 20-25 bp in length, which can be used for RNA interference (silencing) experiments. Naturally occurring in many species and contribute to gene expression regulation through RNA silencing. | 39 | |
| 859240342 | Embryonic Stem Cells (ESCs) | Cells typically derived from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst; cells can undergo differentiation to form all cell types in the body. | 40 | |
| 859240343 | Adult-Derived Stem Cells (ASCs) | Stem cells derived from tissues of an adult, as opposed to embryonic stem cells, which are derived from a blastocyst; can differentiate to produce other cell types. | 41 | |
| 859240344 | Induced-Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) | Nuclear reprogramming of mouse and human cells, heralded as a revolution in stem-cell biology research. One approach has involved using retroviruses to deliver four transgenes Oct3/4, Sox2, c-myc, and Klf4 into fibroblasts. Expression of these four genes, which encode transcription factors involved in cell development, "reprograms" the fibroblasts back to an earlier stage of differentiation. [This] demonstrate[s] many properties of hESCs, such as self renewal and pluripotency, and appear to be indistinguishable from hESCs. | 42 | |
| 859240345 | Regenerative Medicine | A discipline of medical biotechnology that involves repairing or replacing damaged tissues and organs by using tissues and organs grown through biotechnological approaches. | 43 | |
| 859240346 | Research and Development (R&D) | All of the processes involved in basic research (for example, pre-clinical research) and development of a potential product. The lifeblood of a biotechnology company, [this] is how companies identify new technologies, drugs, etc. for commercialization. | 44 | |
| 859240347 | Pharmaceutical Companies | Companies creating drugs for the treatment of human health conditions. | 45 | |
| 859240348 | Startup Company | Formed by a small team of scientists who believe they may have a promising product to make (such as a recombinant protein to treat disease). The team must typically then seek investors to fund their company so they can buy or rent laboratory facilities, buy equipment and supplies, and continue the research and development necessary to make their product. | 46 | |
| 859240349 | Venture Capital (VC) Funds | Funding for an enterprise provided by financiers who see promise in the enterprise and expect a substantial financial benefit for the high risk (or expect to take a loss). | 47 | |
| 859240350 | Angel Investors | Investors that save your company from financial ruin at the last minute (like an angel). | 48 | |
| 859450678 | Initial Public Offering (IPO) | First sale of stock by a formerly private company. It can be used by either small or large companies to raise expansion capital and become publicly traded enterprises. | 49 | |
| 859450679 | Laboratory Technicians | Entry-level laboratory jobs with a range of responsibilities such as preparing solutions and mediums, ordering laboratory supplies, cleaning and maintaining equipment; may sometimes involve bench research. | 50 | |
| 859450680 | Research Assistants (or Research Associates) | Laboratory position in which individuals are primarily involved in carrying out experiments under the supervision of other scientists such as principal or senior scientists. | 51 | |
| 859450681 | Principle or Senior Scientists | Science leadership position in biotechnology companies; senior scientists are usually Ph.D. or M.D.- trained individuals who plan and direct the research priorities of a company. | 52 | |
| 859450682 | Bioinformaticists | Scientists specializing in the bioinformatics. | 53 | |
| 859450683 | Scale-Up Processes | The industrial implementation of processes in which chemical or microbiological conversion of material takes place that behave differently on a small scale (in laboratories or pilot plants) and on a large scale (in production). | 54 | |
| 859450684 | Generic Drugs | Copies of brand-name products that generally have the same effectiveness, safety, and quality but are produced at a cheaper cost to the consumer than the brand-name drugs. | 55 | |
| 859450685 | Biosimilar Drugs | Also called "follow-on" biologics. Subsequent version of a recombinant protein product after the original patent has expired. [This] is produced by a different company than the innovator holding the initial patent. As a result, when a Biosimilar is made, the exact production processes are not the same as the innovator's hence the product or its manufacturing is "similar" but not identical to the original protein. the equivalent of a generic for a pharmaceutical drug. | 56 | |
| 859450686 | Customer Relation Specialists (or Product Complaint Specialists) | Sometimes work in QA divisions of a company. One function of [this person] is to investigate consumer complaints about a problem with a product and follow up with the consumer to provide an appropriate response or solution to the problem encountered. | 57 | |
| 859450687 | Sales Representatives | Salespersons in biotechnology companies; sales representatives are "people persons" who work closely with medical doctors, hospitals, and health care providers to promote a company's products. | 58 | |
| 859450688 | Marketing Specialist | Marketing and sales position in biotechnology companies; [these people] are often involved in designing ad campaigns and promotional materials to market effectively a company's products. | 59 | |
| 859450689 | Finance Divisions | Unit responsible for overseeing company finances. | 60 | |
| 859450690 | Legal Specialists | In biotechnology companies, [these people] typically work on legal issues associated with product development and marketing, such as copyrights, naming rights, and obtaining patents. Staff in this area also address legal circumstances that may arise if problems are found with a product or a litigation from a user of a product. | 61 |
