BIOTECHNOLOGY GLOSSARY

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A B C D E F G H I K L M N O P R S T V W X Y

Passive immunity

Immunity acquired from receiving preformed antibodies.

Pathogen

Disease-causing organism.

Peptide

Two or more amino acids joined by a linkage called a peptide bond.

Phagocyte

A type of white blood cell that can ingest invading microorganisms and other foreign material. See also Macrophage.

Phenotype

Observable characteristics resulting from interaction between an organism's genetic makeup and the environment. Compare Genotype.

Photosynthesis

Conversion by plants of light energy into chemical energy, which is then used to support the plants' biological processes.

Phytoremediation

The use of plants to clean up pollution.

Plasma

The fluid (noncellular) fraction of blood.

Plasmapheresis

A technique used to separate useful factors from blood.

Plasmid

A small circular form of DNA that carries certain genes and is capable of replicating independently in a host cell.

Pluripotent cells

Having the capacity to become any kind of cell or tissue in the body. Embryonic stem cells and cells of the inner cell mass are pluripotent. Adult stem cells are multipotent. The mammalian embryo (blastocyst trophoblast plus inner cell mass) is totipotent because it can become an entire organism. Fully differentiated cells from many plants are totipotent.

Polyclonal

Derived from different types of cells.

Polymer

A long molecule of repeated subunits.

Polymerase

General term for enzymes that carry out the synthesis of nucleic acids.

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)

A technique to amplify a target DNA sequence of nucleotides by several hundred thousandfold.

Polypeptide

Long chain of amino acids joined by peptide bonds.

Preclinical studies

Studies that test a drug on animals and in other nonhuman test systems. Safety information from such studies is used to support an investigational new drug application (IND).

Prokaryote

An organism (e.g., bacterium, virus, cyanobacterium) whose DNA is not enclosed within a nuclear membrane. Compare Eukaryote.

Promoter

A DNA sequence that is located in front of a gene and controls gene expression. Promoters are required for binding of RNA polymerase to initiate transcription.

Prophage

Phage nucleic acid that is incorporated into the host's chromosome but does not cause cell lysis.

Protein

A molecule composed of amino acids. There are many types of proteins, all carrying out different functions essential for cell growth.

Protein A

A protein produced by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus that specifically binds antibodies. It is useful in the purification of monoclonal antibodies.

Proteomics

Each cell produces thousands of proteins, each with a specific function. This collection of proteins in a cell is known as the proteome, and, unlike the genome, which is constant irrespective of cell type, the proteome varies from one cell type to the next. The science of proteomics attempts to identify the protein profile of each cell type, assess protein differences between healthy and diseased cells, and uncover not only each protein's specific function but also how it interacts with other proteins.

Protoplast

The cellular material that remains after the cell wall has been removed from plant and fungal cells.

Pure culture

In vitro growth of only one type of microorganism.

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