Glossary

American Feed Industry Association

Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (DoD)

Toxic compounds, produced by molds (fungi) of the Aspergillus flavus group, that bind to DNA and prevent replication and transcription. Aflatoxins can cause acute liver damage and cancer. Animals may be poisoned by eating stored food or feed contaminated with the mold.

Atomic Force Microscopy

Alpha-Fetoprotein

Antigen

American Gas Association

A complex mixture of polysaccharides obtained from marine red algae, used as an emulsion stabilizer in foods, as a sizing in fabrics, as a gelling agent and as a solid substrate or media for the laboratory culture of microorganisms. Agar melts at 100ºC and when cooled below 44ºC forms a stiff and transparent gel. Microorganisms are seeded and grown on the surface of the gel.

A highly purified form of agar.

A polysaccharide (sugar) obtained from seaweed and used as a solidifying agent (agar) in microbial culture; also used in gel electrophoresis.

A polysaccharide of algal origin often used in gel form as a supporting medium for gel electrophoresis or chromatography.

A method used to separate, identify, and purify molecules of different molecular weight and/or structure. It is specifically applied to the separation of protein or DNA fragments where it is rapid, simple, and accurate, and the separated molecules can be visualized directly by staining with dyes. The electrophoretic migration rate of molecules through agarose gel is dependent on the following parameters:1.Molecular size: molecules pass through the gel at rates that are inversely proportional to the log of their molecular weight.2.Agarose concentration: a molecule of a given size migrates at different rates through gels containing different concentrations of agarose.3.Molecular conformation: a molecule of the same molecular weight but of a different conformation will migrate at different rates. Generally, closed circular or globular forms will migrate faster than linear forms.4.Electric current: at low voltages the rate of migration is proportional to the voltage, but as the voltage is increased the rate of migration of high molecular weight fragments is increased differentially.

Nitrogen Trichloride (NCl3).

Suspended solids clustered together to form larger clumps or masses that are easier to remove by filtration or settling.

AgglutinationThe sticking together of insoluble antigens such as bacteria, viruses or erythrocytes by a particular antibody. Agglutination assays are used to type human blood before a transfusion.

1. A clump or mass formed by gathering or collecting units.2. A body of loosely associated cells, such as a friable callus or cell suspension.3. Coarse inert material, such as gravel, that is mixed with soil to increase its porosity.4. A serological reaction (aggregation) in which the antibody and antigen react and precipitate out of solution.

Refers to cumulative information from multiple records.

A technique used in model organism studies in which embryos at the 8-cell stage of development are pushed together to yield a single embryo (used as an alternative to microinjection).

A drug, hormone or transmitter substance that forms a complex with a receptor site that is capable of triggering an active response from a cell.

Department of Food and Agriculture (California)

Agricultural Online Access (USDA)

American Glovebox Society

Automated Guided Vehicle

American Hospital Association

Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (now AHRQ)