Category: L
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Library
An organized collection of books, electronic media, and other sources of information, located in one or more places, providing equipment and services to the public, students, and faculty. A set of cloned DNA fragments together representing the entire genome. A collection of cloned fragments of DNA. Libraries may be either genomic DNA (in which both…
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Levorotary (L) Isomer
An isomer of an optically active compound; rotates (when illuminated) the plane of plane-polarized light to the left.
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Lethal mutation
Mutation of a gene to yield no, or a totally defective gene product (protein), thereby making it unable to function, and hence unable to sustain the life of the organism.
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Leptin receptors
Cellular receptors which are specific to leptin. In 1996, H. Ralph Snodgrass discovered that leptin receptors are involved in the “sorting” of immature blood cells (from bone marrow) to create subpopulations.
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Leaky mutants
A mutant in which the mutated gene product, such as an enzyme, still possesses a fraction of its normal biological activity.
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Leader sequence
The nontranslated sequence at the 5′ end of mRNA that precedes the initiation codon.
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Lazaroids
A class of drugs being developed to “bring back from the dead” tissues that have been (almost) killed due to a lack of oxygen (e.g., caused by a clot blocking a vital artery).
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Lauroyl-ACP thioesterase
The enzyme that is required for the synthesis (creation) of laurate in plants. For example, the presence of this enzyme in the California bay tree causes its seed oil to contain as much as 45% laurate.
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Laurate
A medium chain length (i.e., CI 2) fatty acid that is naturally produced by coconut trees, oil palm trees, and certain species of wild plants. In 1992, canola plants were genetically engineered so that they could also produce (desirable) laurate in their seeds.
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Lambda phage
A bacteriophage that infects Escherichia coli (E. coli). It is commonly used as a vector in recombinant DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) research.