Singing the praises of colony stimulating factors
Glossary
bone marrow. The hard outer region of long bones (eg, the femur of the thigh) is mineralised connective tissue. The interior is bone marrow. Blood cells are manufactured from stem cells in the bone marrow near the ends of long bones.
chemotherapy. Treatment of disease by using chemical compounds. Cancers are commonly treated by administering chemicals that are toxic to malignant cells.
colony. A group of identical cells (clones) resulting from repeated divisions of a single cell. The identical cells form a cluster that lies on the surface of a food source such as a nutrient agar plate.
enzyme. A protein that acts as a catalyst. Every chemical reaction in living organisms is facilitated by an enzyme.
gene. The basic unit of inheritance. A gene is a segment of DNA that specifies the structure of a protein or an RNA molecule.
gene cloning. The process of producing identical copies (clones) of a gene.
hormone. A substance produced in one part of the body and carried by the blood to another part of the body where it causes a response (eg, insulin, produced by the pancreas, that promotes the uptake of glucose by body cells). For more information see The hormones of the human (Kimball's Biology Pages, USA) and The hormones (Center for Bioenvironmental Research, Tulane and Xavier Universities, USA).
leukaemia. Form of cancer resulting in an overproduction of abnormal white blood cells. This overproduction suppresses normal red blood cell and platelet production.
nutrient agar plate. A sterile, enclosed dish with a layer of a jelly-like substance (agar) containing complete food requirements for growth of bacteria, other small organisms or cells. If the bacteria are well-spaced when they are introduced to the plate, each bacterium will produce a colony of bacteria.
protein. A large molecule composed of a linear sequence of amino acids. This linear sequence is a protein's primary structure. Short sequences within the protein molecule can interact to form regular folds (eg, alpha helix and beta pleated sheet) called the secondary structure. Further folding from interaction between sites in the secondary structure forms the tertiary structure of the protein.
Proteins are essential to the structure and function of cells. They account for more than 50 per cent of the dry weight of most cells, and are involved in most cell processes. Examples of proteins include enzymes, collagen in tendons and ligaments and some hormones. More information can be found at Protein structure and diversity (Molecular Biology Notebook, Rothamsted Research, UK).
white blood cells. (Also known as leucocytes.) White blood cells are the immune system cells. They can be divided into many different categories on the basis of their function and appearance. Many are not found in the blood at all and those that are may have the ability to crawl out of blood vessels, squeezing between the cells of the vessel walls. While some produce antibodies, others produce cocktails of destructive chemicals, others kill virus-infected cells by punching holes in them, and a further class control the entire immune response. For more information see White blood cells (Puget Sound Blood Center, Washington).
Page updated August 2006.