Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Intercalator
A compound that undergoes intercalation, typically a
molecule with a planar structure containing three or four aromatic
rings.
Label-free detection technique
Procedure that utilizes electro-
chemicaland/orsurfaceactivityofDNA(reductionandtensammet-
ric responses of DNA at mercury and some amalgam electrodes,
guanine oxidation at carbon electrodes, detection by using nonco-
valent DNA redox indicators, etc.). The label-free technique uses no
chemical modification of a DNA probe or target or another analyte
interacting withNA.
Microelectrode/ultramicroelectrode
An electrode with a char-
acteristic dimension ranging from 25
μ
m to 1 mm [66]. An
ultramicroelectrodehasacharacteristicdimensionlessthan25
μ
m.
This characteristic dimension refers to the diameter of a disk, a
sphere, a hemisphere, and a cylinder, and the width of a band
ultramicroelectrode.
Nucleic acid aptamers
Single-stranded oligonucleotides (mainly
DNA or RNA) originating from
in vitro
selection that, starting
from random sequence libraries, optimize the nucleic acids for
high-a
nity binding to a given target [69, 70]. Aptamers, upon
association with their target, fold into complex three-dimensional
shapes in which the target becomes an intrinsic part of the nucleic
acid structure.
Nucleobase lesion
A chemical modification of nucleobase, e.g., its
oxidativechange.
Nucleotide
Amoleculecomposedofanitrogenousbase(purineor
pyrimidine) linked to a sugar (deoxyribose or ribose) to which at
least onephosphate group is attached.
Nucleoside
Amoleculecomposedofanitrogenousbase(purineor
pyrimidine) linked to a sugar (deoxyriboseor ribose).
8-oxoguanine (8-OG)
The oxidation product of guanine, which can
be electrochemically oxidized at carbon electrodes at a potential
significantly lesspositive than the parent guaninebase.