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Glossary of Terms
- Fulbright Student Program: An international exchange program funded by the U.S. government that allows students to teach English, study or conduct research for one year or more in another country.
- Environmental DNA (eDNA): DNA that is collected from environmental samples rather than directly from an organism. Scientists can extract DNA from snow, air, ice, soil, water and more!
- Genotype: An individual's genetic makeup (or code) that can inform the phenotype.
- Fjord: A deep and narrow inlet with steep cliffs and filled with seawater formed long ago by slow-moving glaciers.
- Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA): A very abundant form of DNA found in environmental samples. mtDNA is found in the mitochondria of a cell, not the nucleus.
- Assay: A common term in the molecular sciences. An analytical test or procedure designed to assess or measure a substance's presence, amount, or activity.
- Telomeres: A repetitive DNA sequence found at the end of chromosomes (TTAGGGTTAGGGTTAGGG). Telomeres protect the genetic coding DNA from degradation. They shorten with each cellular division. Therefore, telomeres can indicate the age of an organism. Young individuals who have not grown much generally have long telomeres, while older individuals have shorter ones.
- Radiocarbon dating: A method that can estimate the age of something made of carbon. Living things are made of carbon. A specific type of carbon decays over time.
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