anthropometry |
The study of human body measurement for use in anthropological classification and comparison.
|
| apoptosis |
programmed cell death. Some cells have limited life-spans,
at the end of which they are genetically programmed to self-destruct.
Apoptosis typically does not occur in malignant cells. |
bioinformatics |
The science of managing and analyzing biological data using advanced computing techniques. Especially important in analyzing genomic research data. |
DNA |
Deoxyribonucleic acid: the polymeric macromolecule in the cell that carries the genetic instructions for making living organisms. |
epidemiology |
The study of the incidence, distribution, and control of disease in a population. |
gene |
The functional and physical unit of heredity passed from parent to offspring.
|
genomics |
The comprehensive study of whole sets of genes and their interactions. |
metabonomics |
The study of the total metabolite pool (the metabolome) specifically through nuclear magnetic resonance profiling. |
pathology |
The scientific study of the nature of disease and its causes, processes, development, and consequences. |
polymorphism |
The quality or character of occurring in several different forms. |
| proliferation |
growth |
proteomics |
The study of the full set of proteins (the proteome) encoded by a genome. |
puberty |
The stage of adolescence in which an individual becomes physiologically capable of sexual reproduction. |
| receptor |
a protein that lets a cell recognize a chemical messenger,
such as a hormone. Receptors and hormones work like a lock (receptor)
and key (hormone). |
| senescence |
permanent arrest of cell division. This process has
been thought to be involved in aging. |
| Tanner stage |
A stage of puberty based on pubic hair growth, development of genitalia in boys, and breast development in girls. |
| telomeres |
specialized DNA-protein structures that cap DNA (chormosome)
ends. Telomeric structures are crucial for maintaining DNA integrity
and rpeserving genome stability. Dysfunctional telomeres lead to
genomic instability. Genomic instability is a hallmark of cancer
and has also been proposed to contribute to aging. |
thelarche |
The beginning of development of the breasts in the female. |
toxicology |
The study of the incidence, distribution, and control of disease in a population. |
| tumor suppressor proteins |
Their role is to maintain the integrity of the DNA
in cells. The activation of a tumor suppressor gene at certain "check
points" puts on the "brakes" and allows the cell to check for any
damage in its DNA. Without these "brakes," cells with damaged DNA
pass damage on to daughter cells. The damage becomes a permanent
mutation in future generations of new cells. Accumulation of such
mutations can lead to cancer development. |
