Adjuvant: A substance that helps activate the immune system as part of an immunization.
Antibody: A protein in the blood made by the immune system that attacks an antigen.
Antigen: A substance that stimulates the blood to produce an antibody against it.
Carrion: The decaying flesh of dead animals.
Chromosomes: Structures carrying the DNA which makes up genes. They occur in pairs in the nucleus of the cells of most plants and animals. One of each pair comes from the father and the mother.
DNA: The chemical that makes up genes. It is a long molecule, whose sequence of four components makes up the genetic code that determines the function of the genes.
Ecologist: A scientist who studies the interactions of living things with one another and with the environment where they live.
Geneticist: A scientist who studies genetics.
Genetics: The study of how traits are passed on from one generation to another.
Genome: The collection of all the genes of any particular species.
Genomics: A special area of study within genetics that analyzes all of an organism’s DNA and looks for changes in structure, function, and evolution of genetic information over time as the environment varies.
Immunization: Providing a vaccine or similar substance to stimulate the immune system to fight disease.
Major histocompatibility complex (MHC): Molecules that normally appear on the cell surface and are recognized as “other,” stimulating the immune system to make antibodies.