Glossary for NanoBiotechnology

Z disc (Z line):
Platelike region of a muscle sarcomere to which the plus ends of actin filaments are attached. Seen as a dark transverse line in micrographs.

zinc finger:
Structural motif seen in many DNA-binding proteins, composed of a loop of polypeptide chain held in a hair-pin bend bound to a zinc atom.

zonula adherens:
see adhesion belt

zygote:
Diploid cell produced by fusion of a male and female gamete. A fertilized egg.

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.