Flourophore
a molecule that absorbs light energy at one wavelength and re-emits it as light at a longer, lower-energy wavelength.
GFP (green flourescent protein)
a bioluminescent protein from the jellyfish Aequorea Victoria that glows green when exposed to UV or blue light.
DAPI
a blue fluorescent stain that binds strongly to A-T rich regions of double-stranded DNA.
Immunofluorescence
A technique for determining the location of an antigen or antibody in tissues by reaction with a labeled or tagged antibody or antigen.
Antibody
a blood protein that binds to a specific antigen to eliminate or counteract against it.
Antigen
a toxin or other foreign substance which induces an immune response in the body, especially the production of antibodies.
Proton
a stable subatomic particle with a positive electric charge located in the nuclei.
Monomer
a molecule sthat serves as a basic building block.
Polymerization
a chemical process where small, simple molecules called monomers join together to form very large, complex molecules known as polymers.
Amino Acid
a simple organic compound containing both a carboxyl(-COOH) and an amino(-NH2) group.
Monosaccharide
the simplest sugar units, the basic building blocks of carbohydrates, serving as primary energy sources and cannot be broken down further. Examples are glucose, fructose, and galactose.
Nucleotide
a fundamental building block of DNA and RNA, composed of a sugar (ribose or deoxyribose), a phosphate group, and nitrogenous base (Adenine, Guanine, and Cytosine, and Thymine or Uracil).
Condensation
water which collects as droplets on a cold surface when humid air is in contact with it. The conversion of a vapor or gas to a liquid.
Hydrolysis
a chemical reaction where a molecule is broken down (split) by reacting with water, with water molecules (H2O) itself splitting to add a hydrogen (H) to one fragment and a hydroxyl group (OH) to the other.
Glycosylation
the vital, enzyme-controlled process of attaching sugar chains (glycans) to proteins or lipids.
R group
a variable substituent attached to a core molecular structure, representing the "rest of the molecule," often used to show families of related compounds like amino acids or alkyl halides without drawing every variation.
Peptide
a compound consisting of two or more amino acids linked in a chain, the carboxyl group of each acid being joined to the amino group of the next by a bond of the type -OC-NH-.
Polypeptide
a linear organic polymer consisting of a large number of amino-acid residues bonded together in a chain, forming part of (or the whole of) a protein molecule.
Alpha-helix
a common, right-handed, coiled structure in protein secondary structure, formed when a polypeptide chain twists into a spiral, stabilized by hydrogen bonds between the carbonyl oxygen of one amino acid and the amide hydrogen of the amino acid four residues ahead (i to i+4).
Beta-sheet
a common protein secondary structure where extended polypeptide chains (beta-strand) align side-by-side, linked by regular hydrogen bonds between their back bone C=O and N-H groups.
Phosphorylation
the crucial biochemical process where a phosphate group (PO 4 -3) is added to a molecule, often from ATP, to regulate its activity, function, or energy.
Methylation
a vital biochemical process where a methyl group (-CH3) is added to a molecule, acting like a switch to turn genes on or off, regulating detoxification, neurotransmitter production, DNA repair, and hormone balance.
Phospholipid
essential fat molecules forming cell membranes, characterized by hydrophilic heads and hydrophobic tails.
Lipid bilayer
the fundamental, two-layer structure of cell membranes, formed spontaneously by amphipathic phospholipids arranging to shield their hydrophobic tales in the center, creating a barrier that separates cells contents form the outside.
Micelle
a tiny, ball-like cluster of molecules that form spontaneously in water.
Hydrophobic effect
the tendency of nonpolar substances to clump together in water.
Amphipathic
describes molecules with both water-loving and water-fearing parts, allowing them to interact with both polar and nonpolar substances.
Homeoviscous adaptation
a biological process where cells especially in cold-sensitive organisms, alter their cell membrane's lipid composition to maintain optimal fluidity and function despite temperature changes, preventing membranes from becoming too stiff in the cold or too loose in the heat, ensuring proper protein movement and cell integrity.
Desaturase
an enzyme that creates double bonds in fatty acid chains, converting saturated fats into unsaturated fats.