Glossary for NanoBiotechnology

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alcohol:
Polar organic molecule that contains a functional hydroxyl group ( - OH) bound to a carbon atom that is not in an aromatic ring. An example is ethyl alcohol.

aldehyde:
Organic compound that contains the - CH=O group. An example is glyceraldehyde. Can be oxidized to an acid or reduced to an alcohol.

alga (plural algae):
Informal term used to describe a wide range of photosynthetic organisms, either procaryotic or eucaryotic. Eucaryotic examples include Nitella, Volvox, and Fucus.

alkaloid:
Small but complex nitrogen-containing metabolite produced by plants as a defense against herbivores. Examples include caffeine, morphine, and colchicine.

alkane (adjective aliphatic):
Compound of carbon and hydrogen that has only single covalent bonds. An example is ethane (CH3CH3).

alkene:
Hydrocarbon with one or more carbon-carbon double bonds. An example is ethylene.

alkyl group:
General term for a group of covalently linked carbon and hydrogen atoms such as methyl ( - CH3) or ethyl ( - CH2CH3) groups; these groups can be formed by removing a hydrogen atom from an alkane.

allele:
One of a set of alternative forms of a gene. In a diploid cell each gene will have two alleles, each occupying the same position (locus) on homologous chromosomes.

allosteric protein:
Protein that changes from one conformation to another when it binds another molecule or when it is covalently modified. The change in conformation alters the activity of the protein and can form the basis of directed movement.

alpha helix (a helix):
Common structural motif of proteins in which a linear sequence of amino acids folds into a right-handed helix stabilized by internal hydrogen bonding between back-bone atoms.

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Parts of the glossary are from the following book:
Copyright 1983, 1989, 1994 From "Molecular Biology of the Cell" by Bruce Alberts, Dennis Bray, Julian Lewis, Martin Raff, Keith Roberts, James D. Watson. Reproduced by permission of Routledge, Inc., part of The Taylor & Francis Group.