CARTA Glossary
Word | Definition | Related Vocabulary |
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Allele |
Alternative DNA sequence at the same locus (location on the chromosome) |
DNA sequence |
Atherosclerosis |
Build-up of cholesterol and inflammation in the lining of blood vessels. |
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Bayesian |
Methods in probability and statistics named after Thomas Bayes (1702-61) in which a quantity is assigned to represent a state of knowledge, or a state of belief. |
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Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome |
An overgrowth disorder caused by an imbalance in sex-specific modification of chromosomes and characterized by higher risk of childhood cancer and certain congenital features. |
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Carcinoma |
A type of cancer that starts in cells that make up the skin or the tissue lining organs, such as the liver or kidneys. Carcinomas are abnormal cells that divide without control and can spread to other parts of the body. |
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Cardiovascular Disease |
Conditions of the heart that include diseased vessels, structural problems, and blood clots (sometimes used synonymously with Atherosclerosis). |
Atherosclerosis |
Chromatin |
A complex of DNA and proteins (histone and adaptor proteins) forming chromosomes. |
Protein |
Euchromatin |
Open chromatin, allowing information to be read. |
Chromatin |
Genetic Adaptation |
A biological characteristic with a heritable basis that improves reproduction and/or survival and results from evolution by natural selection. |
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Genetic Drift |
Change in allele frequencies, including fixation and loss, by chance. |
Allele |
Genome Wide Association Study (GWAS) |
An approach for “gene mapping” in which hundreds of thousands of SNPs are tested statistically for genetic associations with a phenotype. |
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Heterochromatin |
Tightly wrapped and inactive chromatin. |
Chromatin, Euchromatin |
Heterozygotes |
Have two different alleles at a locus. |
Allele |
Homozygotes |
Have two identical alleles at a locus |
Allele |
Transcription |
The first step in gene expression during which the nucleotide sequence of DNA is transcribed into an RNA molecule that can ultimately be translated into protein. |
Gene expression, Molecule, Nucleotide, Protein, Ribonucleic acid (RNA) |