Glossary - I |
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M
N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
| |
| |
ICSI
| What it's not: |
The internet version of the CSI tv series
|
What it is:
|
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)
is a type of assisted reproductive technology (ART) that involves injecting
a single sperm directly into the cytoplasm of the egg. This technique
is often used to help overcome male infertility, in particular when
the man has slow-moving, abnormally formed or low levels of sperm.
|
Incidence
| What it's not: |
Brand of perfumed candles and sprays
|
| What it is: |
Incidence is the number of new cases
of a condition that occur over a defined period of time. For example,
the incidence of club foot (a birth defect) is about 1 in 1000 live
births.
|
Inherited
| What it's not: |
Always genetic
|
| What it is: |
A trait is said to be inherited if it
is passed down from parents to offspring through generations. The genetic
code present in the parents is passed down to their offspring through
egg or sperm cells. Traits may be inherited in different patterns such
as x-linked inheritance, autosomal recessive or autosomal dominant inheritance. |
Innate immunity
| What it's not: |
Innocence. |
| What it is: |
This is the basic resistance to disease or the first line of defence against infections. It is non-specific and doesn’t depend on previous exposure. Most invading micro-organisms like bacteria and fungi are destroyed within minutes by our innate defences. Our skin is a physical barrier and its low pH inhibits microbial growth. Our body temperature also inhibits the growth of most micro-organisms, while the increased temperature of a fever kills off more of them. |
Intron
| What it's not: |
Ancient Greek for “Come in.” |
| What it is: |
An intron is an area of DNA that does not code for a protein. And
further, “Cells have extensive mechanisms of gene regulation that allow
them to respond to changes in their environment by altering the
expression of specific genes. These sequences are often hidden in
non-coding regions of the DNA.” [Rose (1999), Page 235.]
Not
every part of a human gene is found in mature RNA. Introns are the
fragments that are spliced out. This allows the exonic sequences to
line up and be read for protein translation. |
IVF
| What it's not: |
The next generation of flat panel TV's
|
| What it is: |
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a reproductive
technology where sperm fertilize the egg in a laboratory dish and the
fertilized eggs are put back into the uterus for the pregnancy to be
established. IVF technology has helped couples with infertility problems
to successfully achieve pregnancies. |
|
|
|
|
