Conjugation
1. Union of sex cells (gametes) or unicellular organisms during fertilization. 2. The unidirectional transfer of DNA (bacterial plasmid) from one bacterium cell to another and involving cell-to-to-cell contact. The plasmid usually encodes the majority of the functions necessary for its own transfer.

Conjugative functions
Plasmid-based genes and their products that facilitate the transfer of a plasmid from one bacterium to another.

Consanguinity
Related by descent from a common ancestor.

Conservation of farm animal genetic resources
In AnGR: Refers to all human activities, including strategies, plans, policies and actions, undertaken to ensure that the diversity of farm animal genetic resources is being maintained to contribute to food and agricultural production and productivity; now and in the future. (Source: FAO, 1999)

Constant domains
Regions of antibody chains that have the same amino acid sequence in different members of a particular class of antibody molecules.

Constitutive enzyme
An enzyme that is synthesized continually regardless of growth conditions. cf inducible enzyme; repressible enzyme.

Constitutive synthesis
Continual production of RNA or protein by an organism.

Constitutive
An organism is said to be constitutive for the production of an enzyme or other protein if that protein is always produced by the cells under all physiological conditions. See inducible.

Consumers
Organisms which consume protoplasm produced from photosynthesis or consume organisms from higher levels which indirectly consume protoplasm from photosynthesis.