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Acclimatization Adaptation of an organism to a new
environment.
Action letter An official FDA communication that
informs an NDA or BLA sponsor of a decision by
the agency. An approval letter allows commercial
marketing of the product.
Active immunitystrong> A type of acquired immunity whereby
resistance to a disease is built up by either having the
disease or receiving a vaccine to it.
Adjuvant Insoluble material that increases the formation
and persistence of antibodies when injected with an
antigen.
Aerobic Needing oxygen for growth.
Agrobacterium tumefaciens A common soil bacterium
used as a vector to create transgenic plants.
Allele Any of several alternative forms of a gene.
Allogenic Of the same species, but with a different
genotype. Also allogeneic.
Alzheimer's disease A disease characterized by, among
other things, progressive loss of memory. The
development of Alzheimer's disease is thought to be
associated, in part, with possessing certain alleles of
the gene that encodes apolipoprotein E.
Amino acids Building blocks of proteins. There are 20
common amino acids: alanine, arginine, aspargine,
aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamic acid, glutamine,
glycine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine,
methionine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, threonine,
tryptophan, tyrosine and valine. Two more amino acids
have been discovered in microbes: selenocysteine and
pyrrolysine.
Amplification The process of increasing the number of
copies of a particular gene or chromosomal sequence.
Anaerobic Growing in the absence of oxygen.
Antibiotic Chemical substance formed as a metabolic
byproduct in bacteria or fungi and used to treat
bacterial infections. Antibiotics can be produced
naturally, using microorganisms, or synthetically.
Antibody Protein produced by humans and higher animals
in response to the presence of a specific antigen.
Anticodon Triplet of nucleotide bases (codon) in transfer
RNA that pairs with (is complementary to) a triplet
in messenger RNA. For example, if the codon is
UCG, the anticodon is AGC. See also Base; Base pair;
Complementarity.
Antigen A substance that, when introduced into the body,
induces an immune response by a specific antibody.
Antigenic determinant See Hapten.
Antihemophilic factors A family of whole-blood proteins
that initiate blood clotting. Some of these proteins,
such as factor VIII, can be used to treat hemophilia.
See also Factor VIII; Kidney plasminogen activator.
Antisense A piece of DNA producing a mirror image
("antisense") messenger RNA that is opposite in
sequence to one directing protein synthesis. Antisense
technology is used to selectively turn off production of
certain proteins.
Antiserum Blood serum containing specific antibodies
against an antigen. Antisera are used to confer passive
immunity to many diseases.
Apolipoprotein E (Apo E) Certain alleles of the gene
that encodes the protein apolipoprotein E have been
associated with the development of heart disease and
Alzheimer's disease.
Assay Technique for measuring a biological response.
Attenuated Weakened; with reference to vaccines, made
from pathogenic organisms that have been treated so
as to render them avirulent.
Autoimmune disease A disease in which the body
produces antibodies against its own tissues.
Autoimmunity A condition in which the body mounts
an immune response against one of its own organs or
tissues.
Autosome Any chromosome other than a sex
chromosome.
Avirulent Unable to cause disease.
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