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Food Standards Agency
Saturday 4 July 2009
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Glossary
Friday 14 February 2003
A basic glossary with key terms for this microsite.
Allergen
A substance that causes an immune response.
Amino acids
A group of compounds that make up the building blocks of proteins.
Bacterium
A single-celled organism (singular of bacteria). Bacteria are classified according to shape or
whether they need oxygen or not.
Biodiversity
The range of living things in their natural environments.
Biotechnology
Use of micro-organisms or biological techniques to process waste or produce useful compounds, such as vaccines.
Chromosome
The cell structures that carry DNA. Human beings have 23 pairs of chromosomes in each cell.
Codon
Any triplet of bases containing information, such as a coding sequence.
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, is the genetic material contained in the cells of all living things. It carries the information that allows organisms to function, repair and reproduce themselves.
Genes
Genes are made up of DNA. They carry the instructions for all the characteristics that a living thing inherits.
Genome
The full set of chromosomes for any species, including humans. As a result, it is sometimes referred to as the genetic 'blueprint'.
Herbicide
A chemical that kills plants, sometimes designed to kill specific weeds.
Hybrid
A cross between two organisms that are genetically different.
Micro-organism
A living thing that can be seen only with magnification, such as bacteria and viruses.
Nucleotide
The building blocks of DNA. Two strips of nucleotides twist around each other to form the double helix structure.
Organism
Any living thing.
Plasmid
A piece of bacterial DNA that is independent of the bacterium's main chromosome.
Promoter
Piece of DNA that helps ensure that a modified gene works properly.
Protein
A complex molecule consisting of a particular sequence of chains of amino acids. Proteins are essential constituents of all living things.
Substantial equivalence
A concept that allows a novel food to be compared with a similar existing food.
Toxin
A poison.
A more comprehensive glossary can be found at the UN (External)
Food and Agriculture Organization
website.
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