What is biotechnology Flashcards
Assay
a method for making a measurement in the laboratory
In vitro
in the test tube
In vivo
in a living organism
In situ
in its normal situation or position
Monoclonal antibody (mAb) technology
specialized proteins of the vertebrate immune system that bind to antigens
phenotype
observable physical traits
Antigens
foreign substances that provoke immune responses (antibody generators)
genotypes
combination of genes (possibly not seen).
monoclonal
all molecules stem from genes of identical sequence
derived from a single cell
Two types of Lymphocytes
B Lymphocytes (B cells ) and T Lymphocytes (T cells)
“Cyte/Cyto’
cell
Progenitors
a biological cell that can differentiate into a specific cell type (similar to stem cells)
The most common type of cell used in Biotechnology
single-celled microorganisms or cultured mammalian cells
Enzyme
biological catalysts made of protein(s)
catalyst
speeds up (promotes) a chemical reaction without being consumed
modern biotechnology
the manipulation of cells or biomolecules to solve problems or make products
molecular biotechnology
makes use of DNA or protein molecules (recombinant DNA)
Biodegradation
Microbes and their enzyme catalysts break down certain stable organic environmental contaminants
phytormeditation
using plants to treat contaminated wastewater
Tissue engineering
growing tissues/organs in the lab (only human skin has been successful)
Biosensor
a detecting device composed of a biological substance and some sort of transducer
analyte
the target molecule a biological element binds to
antisense technology
uses small pieces of DNA to block the expression of genes
metabolic engineering
refers to the alterations in the molecular process occurring in cells to drive metabolism toward certain products
