Question | Answer |
amino acid | the basic unit of a protein molecule; there are 20 different amino acids used in proteins, each having a specific set of shape, electrical charge, and water or fat affinity characteristics |
antirejection drug | a medication that prevents the body from rejecting foreign solid organ transplants |
B cell | antibody-producing lymphocyte involved in humoral immunity |
biologic-response modifiers | agents that alter the expression and response to surface antigens and enhance immune cell activities in ways that promote destruction of human malignancies |
biotechnology | the application of biologic systems and organisms for agricultural, industrial, and medical purposes |
cellular (cell-mediated) immunity | a specific response to antigens that is mediated primarily by T lymphocytes and macrophages |
cloning | reproducing identical copies of a gene by DNA technology |
colony-stimulating factor (CSF) | a chemical that stimulates the bone marrow to produce blood cells |
complement | lipoproteins and globulins in blood plasma that react with the antigenantibody complex |
complementary | of a nucleic acid strand, having each nucleotide base paired up with its counterpart in the other strand |
cytoprotective agent | an agent administered to reduce the side effects and toxicity of chemotherapy agents |
denatured | disruption of the structure |
diffuse tumor | a cancerous growth that is widely distributed and are not localized |
DNA sequence | order of nucleotide bases in the DNA molecule; a group of three nucleotides translates into one amino acid |
extravasation | the escape of IV fluids into the surrounding tissue |
granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) | an agent that stimulates the bone marrow to produce specific white cells, such as the granulocytes |
hematologic agent | a replacement plasma protein that is necessary for blood coagulation and is not produced in a person with hemophilia |
humoral immunity | an immune response in which secreted antibodies are transported by bodily fluids |
immune response | the immune system's way of providing resistance to disease and malignancy through the production of antibodies and phagocytes |
immunoglobulin (Ig) | a protein that responds to a specific antigen; also known as an antibody |
lymphatic system | a network of vessels that carry lymph, the lymph nodes, and the lymphoid organs including the tonsils, spleen, and thymus; a system for filtering body fluids by nodes, vessels, and lymphocytes before the fluid returns to general circulation |
MAb (monoclonal antibody) | an antibody produced in the laboratory by a culture derived from a single B cell |
macrophage | a large white blood cell that engulfs antigens, toxins, and cellular debris, and digests it, and displays peptides complexed with MHC for recognition by T cells |
neoplastic disease | a disorder that occurs when normal cellular control mechanisms become altered; characterized by uncontrolled cellular growth and the development of abnormal cells; also referred to as cancer |
nucleotide | the basic unit of a DNA molecule, containing one of four possible bases |
opsonization | labeling antigenic material so that it is more readily identified and destroyed by macrophages |
oral complications | tissue injury to the oral cavity associated with chemotherapy and radiation |
plasma cell | a B cell that produces freely circulating antibody in very large quantities |
plasmid | a small circular ring of DNA that can insert itself into bacterial genes and can carry genes from one bacterial cell to another |
primary site | the original site where a cancer tumor develops |
promoter | the part of plasmid DNA where protein production starts |
recombinant DNA | artificial DNA produced in a laboratory by inserting strands of DNA from one organism into that of another organism |
remission | the condition in which a tumor is inactive with no cell division or growth; typically, a goal of chemotherapy |
replication | the process of copying the DNA of a cell into a new set of DNA molecules to produce a new cell |
resistance | lack of responsiveness of cancer cells to chemotherapy |
secondary site | a new cancer tumor site to which malignant cells have spread from the original site |
small lymphocyte | T and B memory cells, which carry and preserve information for the recognition of specific antigens |
solid tumor | a tumor that forms a solid mass and can be palpated |
T cell | lymphocyte that responds to antigens presented on the surface of other cells; involved in cellular immunity |
terminator | the portion of plasmid DNA where protein production stops |
transcription | the copying of information from a DNA strand onto an RNA strand, which then serves as a messenger to the molecular systems that use it to assemble a protein |