activate: (in biology) To turn on, as with a gene or chemical reaction.

amino acids: Simple molecules that occur naturally in plant and animal tissues and that are the basic building blocks of proteins.

antenna: (plural: antennae or antennas) In biology: Either of a pair of long, thin sensory appendages on the heads of insects, crustaceans and some other arthropods. (in physics) Devices for picking up (receiving) electromagnetic energy.

artery: Part of the bodys circulation system. There are several. Each is amajor tuberunning between the heart and blood vessels that will move blood to all parts of the body.

behavior: The way something, often a person or other organism, acts towards others, or conducts itself.

biology: The study of living things. The scientists who study them are known as biologists.

blood vessel: A tubular structure that carries blood through the tissues and organs.

cancer: Any of more than 100 different diseases, each characterized by the rapid, uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells. The development and growth of cancers, also known as malignancies, can lead to tumors, pain and death.

carbon: A chemical element that is the physical basis of all life on Earth. It can self-bond, chemically, to form an enormous number of chemically, biologically and commercially important molecules.

carbon nanotube: A nanoscale, tube-shaped material, made from carbon that conducts heat and electricity well.

cardiologist: A doctor that specializes in the branch of medicine dealing with functions and diseases of the heart.

cell: (in biology) The smallest structural and functional unit of an organism. Typically too small to see with the unaided eye, it consists of a watery fluid surrounded by a membrane or wall. Depending on their size, animals are made of anywhere from thousands to trillions of cells.

cell membrane: A structure that separates the inside of a cell from what is outside of it. Some particles are permitted to pass through the membrane.

chain reaction: An event that once started continues to keep itself going. Its a term frequently used to describe atomic fission in a nuclear power plant. By packing enough fuel closely enough together, neutrons released by fissioning atoms bombard neighboring atoms, inducing them to fission. This sets up a self-sustaining process.

chemical: A substance formed from two or more atoms that unite (bond) in a fixed proportion and structure. For example, water is a chemical made when two hydrogen atoms bond to one oxygen atom. Its chemical formula is H2O. Chemical also can be an adjective to describe properties of materials that are the result of various reactions between different compounds.

chemical signal: A message made up of molecules that get sent from one place to another. Bacteria and some animals use these signals to communicate.

chemistry: The field of science that deals with the composition, structure and properties of substances and how they interact.

cholesterol: A fatty material in animals that forms a part of cell walls. In vertebrate animals, it travels through the blood in little vessels known as lipoproteins. Excessive levels in the blood can signal risks to blood vessels and heart.

clot: (in medicine) A collection of blood cells (platelets) and chemicals that collect in a small region, stopping the flow of blood.

conductive: Able to carry an electric current.

contract: To activate muscle by allowing filaments in the muscle cells to connect. The muscle becomes more rigid as a result.

current: (in electricity) The flow of electricity or the amount of charge moving through some material over a particular period of time.

defense: (in biology) A natural protective action taken or chemical response that occurs when a species confronts predators or agents that might harm it. (adj. defensive)

DNA: (short for deoxyribonucleic acid) A long, double-stranded and spiral-shaped molecule inside most living cells that carries genetic instructions. It is built on a backbone of phosphorus, oxygen, and carbon atoms. In all living things, from plants and animals to microbes, these instructions tell cells which molecules to make.

electricity: A flow of charge, usually from the movement of negatively charged particles, called electrons.

electrode: A device that conducts electricity and is used to make contact with non-metal part of an electrical circuit, or that contacts something through which an electrical signal moves. (in electronics)Part of a semiconductor device (such as a transistor) that either releases or collects electronsor holes, or that can controltheir movement.

engineer: A person who uses science and math to solve problems. As a verb, to engineer means to design a device, material or process that will solve some problem or unmet need.

generation: A group of individuals (in any species) born at about the same time or that are regarded as a single group. Your parents belong to one generation of your family, for example, and your grandparents to another. Similarly, you and everyone within a few years of your age across the planet are referred to as belonging to a particular generation of humans.

germ: Any one-celled microorganism, such as a bacterium orfungal species, or a virus particle. Some germs cause disease. Others can promote the health of more complex organisms, including birds and mammals. The health effects of most germs, however, remain unknown.

immune: (adj.) Having to do with immunity. (v.) Able to ward off a particular infection.

immune system: The collection of cells and their responses that help the body fight off infections and deal with foreign substances that may provoke allergies.

implant: A device manufactured to replace a missing biological structure, to support a damaged biological structure, or to enhance an existing biological structure. Examples include artificial hips, knees and teeth; pacemakers; and the insulin pumps used to treat diabetes.Or some device installed surgically into an animals body to collect information on the individual (such as its temperature, blood pressure or activity cycle).

infectious: An adjective that describes a type of microbe or virus that can be transmitted to people, animals or other living things.

limb: (in physiology) An arm or leg. (in botany) A large structural part of a tree that branches out from the trunk.

link: A connection between two people or things.

magnetic field: An area of influence created by certain materials, called magnets, or by the movement of electric charges.

membrane: A barrier which blocks the passage (or flow through) of some materials depending on their size or other features. Membranes are an integral part of filtration systems. Many serve that same function as the outer covering of cells or organs of a body.

molecule: An electrically neutral group of atoms that represents the smallest possible amount of a chemical compound. Molecules can be made of single types of atoms or of different types. For example, the oxygen in the air is made of two oxygen atoms (O2), but water is made of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom (H2O).

muscle: A type of tissue used to produce movement by contracting its cells, known as muscle fibers. Muscle is rich in protein, which is why predatory species seek prey containing lots of this tissue.

nanoparticle: A small particle with dimensions measured in billionths of a meter.

nerve: A long, delicate fiberthat transmits signalsacross the body of an animal. An animals backbone contains many nerves, some of which control the movement of its legs or fins, and some of which convey sensations such as hot, cold or pain.

network: A group of interconnected people or things. (v.) The act of connecting with other people who work in a given area or do similar thing (such as artists, business leaders or medical-support groups), often by going to gatherings where such people would be expected, and then chatting them up. (n. networking)

novel: Something that is clever or unusual and new, as in never seen before.

organ: (in biology) Various parts of an organism that perform one or more particular functions. For instance, an ovary is an organ that makes eggs, the brain is an organ that makes sense of nerve signals and a plants roots are organs that take in nutrients and moisture.

organism: Any living thing, from elephants and plants to bacteria and other types of single-celled life.

particle: A minute amount of something.

pH: A measure of a solutions acidity or alkalinity. A pH of 7 is perfectly neutral. Acids have a pH lower than 7; the farther from 7, the stronger the acid. Alkaline solutions, called bases, have a pH higher than 7; again, the farther above 7, the stronger the base.

plaque: An accumulation of materials in the body from the fluids that move through an area or bathe it. They can be minerals, proteins or other substances that collect as deposits. (in heart disease) Fatty deposits that accumulate in vessels as a result of a disease known as atherosclerosis. This plaque is made up of fat, cholesteroland other substances carried by the blood. Eventually these deposits will harden and narrow the internal openings of the arteries. This reduces the flow of oxygen and blood to organs throughout body.

podcast: A digital audio or video series that can be downloaded from the Internet to your computer or smartphone. Some podcasts also are shows that are broadcast on radio, television or other media.

pore: A tiny hole in a surface. On the skin, substances such as oil, water and sweat pass through these openings.

prosthetic: Adjective that refers to a prosthesis.

protein: A compound made from one or more long chains of amino acids. Proteins are an essential part of all living organisms. They form the basis of living cells, muscle and tissues; they also do the work inside of cells. Antibodies, hemoglobin and enzymes are all examples of proteins. Medicines frequently work by latching onto proteins.

retinitis pigmentosa: Also known as RP, this incurable family of genetic eye diseases causes cells in the retina light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eyeball to fail. Problems emerge in childhood. Most patients eventually go blind.

rhodopsin: A pigment molecule bound to the light-sensing protein opsin. Rhodopsins are found in red cells of the eye. They are extremely sensitive to light, but cannot sense color.

risk: The chance or mathematical likelihood that some bad thing might happen. For instance, exposure to radiation poses a risk of cancer. Or the hazard or peril itself. (For instance: Among cancer risks that the people faced were radiation and drinking water tainted with arsenic.)

science fiction: A field of literary or filmed stories that take place against a backdrop of fantasy, usually based on speculations about how science and engineering will direct developments in the distant future. The plots in many of these stories focus on space travel, exaggerated changes attributed to evolution or life in (or on) alien worlds.

strategy: A thoughtful and clever plan for achieving some difficult or challenging goal.

synthetic: An adjective that describes something that did not arise naturally, but was instead created by people. Many synthetic materialshave been developed to stand in for natural materials, such as synthetic rubber, synthetic diamond or a synthetic hormone. Some may even have a chemical makeup and structure identical to the original.

synthetic biology: A research field in which scientists work on developing custom life forms in the lab. Because they make synthetic organisms, scientists who work in this field are known as synthetic biologists.

system: A network of parts that together work to achieve some function. For instance, the blood, vessels and heart are primary components of the human body's circulatory system. Similarly, trains, platforms, tracks, roadway signals and overpasses are among the potential components of a nation's railway system. System can even be applied to the processes or ideas that are part of some method or ordered set of procedures for getting a task done.

technology: The application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry or the devices, processes and systems that result from those efforts.

tissue: Made of cells, it is any of the distinct types of materials that make up animals, plants or fungi. Cells within a tissue work as a unit to perform a particular function in living organisms. Different organs of the human body, for instance, often are made from many different types of tissues.

wave: A disturbance or variation that travels through space and matter in a regular, oscillating fashion.

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Synthetic biology aims to tackle disease and give cells superpowers - Science News Explores