Xenotransplantation - Nuffield Council on Bioethics
Xenotransplantation - Nuffield Council on Bioethics
Xenotransplantation - Nuffield Council on Bioethics
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Annex E : Glossary<br />
Retrovirus<br />
A type of virus that c<strong>on</strong>tains RNA as its genetic material. The HIV virus that causes<br />
AIDS is an example of a retrovirus. After a retrovirus has infected a cell, the process<br />
of reproducti<strong>on</strong> involves c<strong>on</strong>versi<strong>on</strong> into DNA. The DNA is inserted into the<br />
genetic material of the host cell. RNA is then made and used to produce new<br />
viruses.<br />
RNA<br />
RNA (rib<strong>on</strong>ucleic acid) is similar to DNA in structure, but it performs a different<br />
functi<strong>on</strong> in living cells. Certain viruses c<strong>on</strong>tain RNA, not DNA. Examples are the<br />
virus that causes polio and the HIV virus that causes AIDS. The HIV virus is a<br />
particular type of RNA virus called a retrovirus.<br />
Source animal<br />
An animal from which organs or tissue are taken for transplantati<strong>on</strong> into a human<br />
being.<br />
Species<br />
A species is a group of individuals that share the same or similar characteristics and<br />
which can interbreed to produce fertile offspring.<br />
Specified-pathogen free<br />
The term used to describe an organism from which certain pathogens, or infectious<br />
organisms, have been eliminated (paragraphs 6.29 - 6.30).<br />
T-cell<br />
T-cells are white blood cells that produce a cell-mediated immune resp<strong>on</strong>se. Killer<br />
T-cells directly attack cells bearing foreign antigens, ultimately killing them<br />
(paragraph 3.14).<br />
Tissue<br />
A tissue is a collecti<strong>on</strong> of similar cells that all perform the same functi<strong>on</strong>. An<br />
example is the neural tissue of the brain. B<strong>on</strong>e is a type of tissue where the cells are<br />
surrounded by hard deposits. Tissues may group together to form organs (paragraph<br />
1.9).<br />
Transgenesis<br />
This refers to the introducti<strong>on</strong> of a foreign gene into an animal or other organism.<br />
The transferred gene is called a transgene (paragraphs 3.26 - 3.28 and 4.45 - 4.49).<br />
Transplantati<strong>on</strong><br />
Transplantati<strong>on</strong> involves the removal of organs, tissue or cells from <strong>on</strong>e organism and<br />
their implantati<strong>on</strong> into another organism (paragraph 3.8).<br />
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