Addendum : Glossary of Terms used in Essay

The following technical terms which may not be in common parlance are therefore here defined or explained so as to avoid making content of the prior essay more unwieldy.

aerobic - requiring the presence of free oxygen for life and growth.

A.I.D.S - acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, occurring in consequence of an infection by the HIV human immunodeficiency virus.

amoebiasis - infection with amoebae, minute one-celled protozoan animal life forms found in soil and water.

anaemia - a reduction in the number of circulating red blood cells per cubic mm , the amount of haemoglobin per 100ml , or volume of packed red cells per 100ml of blood.

anaerobic - able to live and grow in the absence of free oxygen.

anthrax - a disease affecting farm animals and humans. Internal haemorrhage, muscle pain, headache, fever, and vomiting may be experienced

anthelmintic - an agent that destroys parasitic intestinal worms.

antibiotic - an antimicrobial agent (derived from cultures of a microorganism or produced semi-synthetically) used to treat infections.

antigenic - capable of causing the production of an antibody.

antiseptic - (a substance) tending to inhibit the growth and reproduction of microorganisms.

arthropod - member of a phylum of invertebrate animals having hard jointed exoskeleton, segmented body and jointed paired appendages.

asepsis - sterility; a condition free from germs, infection, and any form of life.

autoclave - apparatus for sterilization of medical instruments or other objects by steam under pressure.

bacilli - members of a genus of aerobic spore-bearing bacteria that are rod-shaped, sometimes occurring in chains.

binary fission - the direct division of a cell or nucleus into two equal parts: the common form of asexual reproduction of bacteria, protozoa and other lower forms of life.

biochemicals - chemicals involved in living organisms with life processes.

bubonic plague - an acute infectious disease ( the 'black death' ) with high fatality rate, transmitted by the bite of rat fleas.

capsid - protein covering around the central core of a virus particle which promotes attachment of the virus to susceptible cells.

commensal - one of two or more organisms that live in an intimate, nonparasitic relationship.

cyst - (amoebic) a structure formed by and enclosing the organism, in which it becomes (temporarily) inactive.

cytoplasma - The protoplasm of a cell outside of a nucleus.

definitive host - The final host , or the host in which the parasite reaches sexual maturity.

dinoflagellates - members of an order of minute marine plantlike organisms of phylum pyrrophyta, kingdom Protista.

disinfection - the process of killing pathogenic organisms or of rendering them inert. D N A - deoxyribonucleic acid, the cell nucleus genetic material of nearly all living organisms which controls heredity.

endemiological - pertaining to a disease that occurs continuously in a particular population, but which has low mortality, e.g. measles.

enzymes - proteins produced by living cells which catalyze specific chemical reactions in organic matter.

eucaryotics - organisms with cells that have a true nucleus surrounded by a membrane.

genital - pertaining to the organs of generation ; reproductive organs.

genus - the taxonomic division between the species and the family.

genome - the complete set of chromosomes and thus the entire genetic information present in a cell.

germ - any microorganism, especially one that causes disease.

Gram's method - a method of staining microorganisms with a violet stain etc, used as a primary means of identifying bacteria.

hepatic - pertaining to the liver, ( the largest gland of the human body ).

herpes - a creeping skin disease in which vesicular blisterlike eruption is caused by a virus infection; e.g. 'cold sores'.