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Home >> Dictionary of Bioinformatics, Biochemistry, Biotechnology >> Fingerprinting, Flow Cytometry
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Fingerprinting The use of RFLPs to obtain a unique pattern of DNA fragments for each individual. See DNA fingerprinting.
Finger protein A protein containing segments of regularly spaced cysteine amino acids involved in binding zinc atoms. These are seen in certain nucleic acid binding proteins.
Finished DNA sequence High-quality, low error, gap-free DNA sequence of the human genome.
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Firewall A computer that separates a company or organisation’s internal network from the public network in order to prevent unauthorized access to private computer systems.
First law of thermodynamics The law that states that the total energy of the universe remains constant in all processes.
First-order reaction A reaction in which the velocity is proportional to he substrate concentration. The reaction rate doubles if the substrate concentration is doubled.
Fischer projection formula See projection formulas.
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FISH Acronym for fluorescent in situ hybridization. A technique used to locate specific genes on intact chromosomes or within a cell or tissue using fluorescently labelled probes. This is used for physical mapping of cloned DNA fragments on chromosomes.
Fish farming Raising fish in tanks or holding nets. Biotechnological approaches to improve yield and fish genetics include i) sex manipulation, by exposure to oestrogen during development to produce genetically male but physically female fish in order to develop inbred-lines of fish; ii) transgenic fish with growth hormone transgene that enables development to adult fish in half the time of normal fish; iii) vaccines and diagnostics to control disease; (iv) fish food such as amino acids, proteins and trace nutrients.
Fission Asexual reproduction that involves the division of a single-cell into two new single-cells of equal size.
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Fistula An abnormal communication between two internal organs or from an internal organ to the body surface.
Fixation An event that takes place when all the alleles at a locus except one are completely removed from a population. The remaining allele that now occurs with a frequency of 100%, is said to have been fixed.
Fixative A chemical reagent (formaldehyde or osmium tetroxide) used to preserve cells for microscopy. The process is “fixation” and samples treated with the fixative are said to be “fixed”.
FK506 An immunosuppressant drug.
FLAG See affinity tag.
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Flagellin The flagellar protein in S. typhi that is subject to attack by the mammalian immune system. Salmonella switches between two antigenically distinct flagellin proteins: Fli (formerly H1) and FIjB (formerly H2) approximately once in every 1000 cell generations in order to escape the mammalian immune system.
Flagellum (pl: flagella) A ship-like organelle that is used for mobility and propulsion in certain cells.
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Fission yeast A common name given to the yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, an experimental organism that divides to give rise to two equal-sized cells.
Flame photometry A technique used to analyse the absorption or emission of specific wavelengths by excited atoms. There are two types of flame photometry-emission flame photometry and atomic absorption flame photometry.
Flaming A technique used for sterilising instruments. The instrument is dipped in 95% (v/v) ethanol and heated over a flame, thus heat-sterilising the surface
Fire, Andrew An American scientist who was awarded the 2006 Noble prize in Physiology or Medicine together with Craig Mello for elucidating the mechanism of RNA interference and gene silencing by double-stranded RNA which has important implications in biology and medicine
Flanking region The DNA sequences that extend on either side of a specific sequence.
Flash evaporator A device used to remove large volumes of a solvent from a solution by evaporation in order to concentrate the solute. The device consists of a heated, rotating glass sphere with a tube to allow the solvent to evaporate.
Flat file A plain text file. A file without any markup characters. See Markup language.
Flavin A coenzyme involved in redox reactions that is present in the form of FAD FMN and riboflavin.
Flavin adenine dinucleotide See FAD.
Flavin adenine mononucleotide See FMN.
Flavin nucleotides Nucleotide coenzymes that contain riboflavin (FMN or FAD).
Flayin-linked dehyrogenases Dehydrogenases that require any one of the riboflavin coenzymes, FMN or FAD.
Flavoprotein A protein that contains a flavin nucleotide as a tightly bound prosthetic group.
Flavr Savr Transgenic tomato in which the synthesis of polygalacturonase is blocked by antisense technology.
Flippase A protein that facilitates the movement of membrane lipids from one leaflet to another in a phospholipids bilayer.
Flocculant An agent that causes small particles to aggregate (flocculate).
Flocculation The rapid precipitation of a material out of a solution.
Floccule Microorganism aggregate or colloidal particle that floats in or on a liquid.
Floccule Microorganism aggregate or colloidal particle that floats in or on a liquid. Liquid media that are contaminated are generally cloudy and illustrate the phenomenon of flocculation.
Flora Plat life.
Flow cytoenzymology A technique for the analysis of biological molecules by detection of the light-absorbing or fluorescing properties of cells or subcellular fractions when they pass in a narrow stream through a laser beam. An absorbance or fluorescence profile of the sample is generated. Automated sorting devices are used to sort successive droplets of the analysed stream into different fractions based on the fluorescence emitted by each droplet.
Flow karyotyping The use of flow cytometry to analyse and separate chromosomes based on their DNA content.
Flow sorting A technique that uses flow cytometry to separate, according to size, chromosomes isolated from cells during cell during cell division when they are condensed and stable. As the chromosomes flow singly past a laser beam, they are differentiated by analyzing the amount of DNA present, and individual chromosome are directed to specific collection tubes.
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