MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES

**Definition:** This place covers:

**Limiting references (this place does not cover):** - Microbiological testing media -> C12Q1/00

**Glossary:** - Antisense: DNA or RNA composed of the complementary sequence to the target DNA/RNA - Aptamers: Oligonucleotide molecules that bind a specific target molecule. - CpG-motifs: Cytosine-Phosphate-Guanine motifs; a cytosine is directly followed by a guanine in the DNA sequence; methylation of cytosine in CpG- motifs negatively regulates gene expression. - Enzyme: Proteinaceous materials, which cause a chemical change in a starting material without being consumed in the reaction. - Genetic Engineering: Technology used to alter the hereditary apparatus or gene structure of a living cell so that the cell can produce more or different chemicals, or perform completely new functions. - Germ cell: Reproductive cells of the body, specifically, either egg or sperm cells. - Maintaining: Supporting or sustaining growth or metabolic activity of microorganisms. - Microorganism: Comprises single-celled organisms such as bacteria, actinomycetales or single-celled fungi, e.g. yeasts; for the purposes of classification, this term also includes viruses, human, animal or plant cells, protozoa, tissues and unicellular algae. - Multipotent stem cell: A stem cell with the ability to give rise to multiple cell types belonging to one particular embryonic germ layer, the endoderm, the mesoderm or the ectoderm. - Mutation: Any change that alters the sequence of bases along the DNA thereby changing the genetic material of a microorganism. - NK cell: Natural killer cell - Non-coding nucleic acid sequence: Nucleic acid sequence which does not contain instructions for making proteins. - Pluripotent stem cell: A stem cell with the ability to differentiate into cells of at least two of the three embryonic germ layers, the endoderm, the mesoderm and the ectoderm. - Preserving: Rendering microorganisms reversibly dormant. - Proenzyme: An enzyme precursor - Progenitor cell: A parent cell that gives rise to a distinct cell lineage by a series of cell divisions. - Recombinant DNA Technology: Techniques for cutting apart and splicing together pieces of DNA from the same or different sources. - Single-cell protein: Protein derived from microorganisms, usually bacteria or yeast, that are cultivated on a suitable medium and then harvested and processed for use as a food for livestock or humans. For example, blue-green bacterium Spirulina is processed and sold as a protein-rich health food. - Stem cell: Cells capable of renewing themselves through mitotic cell division as well as differentiating into a diverse range of specialized cell types. The term covers adult stem cells as well as embryonic stem cells (ES) as derived from blastocysts. - Totipotent stem cell: A stem cell with the ability to generate a whole organism autonomously; totipotent mammalian cells thus can differentiate into all three somatic lineages (endoderm or mesoderm or ectoderm), the germ line and extra embryonic tissues such as the placenta. - Vector: A DNA sequence (e.g., plasmid, phage DNA) which may be employed to introduce a foreign gene into a host cell and is able to replicate autonomously in the host cell.