| The terms and descriptions provided in this glossary have been
completed with the help of several sources:
Sources are listed with the definitions.
VWXYZ
Vector
An agent, such as a virus or a small piece of
DNA called a plasmid, that carries a modified or foreign gene. When
used in gene therapy, a vector delivers the desired gene to a target
cell. [Talking
Glossary]
Virus
Extremely small and simple life forms made merely
of a protein shell and a genome. A virus reproduces by inserting
its genome into the cells of other life forms. As those cells duplicate,
so does the virus.
Source: Human Genome Project Information
Xenotransplant
Transplantation of tissue or organs between organisms
of different species, genus, or family. A common example is the
use of pig heart valves in humans.
Source: PhRMA Genomics
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