Glossary of Terms

• Actin: One of the two basic components of muscle fibre, contains myosin binding sites and upon myosin binding, fascilitates muscle contraction
• ATP: Adenosine Triphosphate; The cell's "Energy currency": it contains a high-energy diphosphate bond that, on hydrolysis (i.e. breaking) leads to a release in Energy that can be used for a huge range of processes in a cell's functioning machinery. 
• ATPase: A protein that has the ability to hydrolyse (i.e. break down in a certain way) ATP to form ADP + Pi, a reaction which releases energy. 
• ATP-dependent Chromatin Remodeling: Process of rearranging nucleosomes to fascilitate or suppress gene transcription via ATP-dependent Chromatin Remodeling Complexes such as SWI/SNF
• Bromodomain: Protein domain that recognises and binds acetylated Lysine residues (certain types of amino acids in proteins that have a special chemical group attached to them)
• Buffering Proteins: e.g. parvalbumin, chelate (i.e. mop up) free Calcium in the cell
• Calcium ATPase: An ion pump that uses energy from the hydrolysis of ATP to move Calcium ions out of the cell
• Chromatin: Structure associated with DNA that condenses the DNA, as well as allowing additional control over gene expression
• Chromatin remodeling: Process of rearranging the nucleosomes to make a portion of DNA accessible or inaccessible to the transcription machinery (i.e. proteins involved in making a DNA transcript)
• Cytoplasm: Everything within the cell (except for the nucleus) that is contained by the plasma membrane
• Dopamine: Neurotransmitter (amine, i.e. a chemical) that is released by a certain type of neuron at a synapse and diffuses to the next neuron, where it binds a receptor and initiates an electric signal, thereby transmitting the message to the next nerve cell
• Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER): Organelle where protein folding takes place; major store of Calcium in the cell
• Eukaryote / Eukaryotic: Cells of higher organisms (more complex machinery) that have certain basic characteristics, such as an enveloped nucleus and a cell membrane; Include human, animal and yeast cells, different to prokaryotic (bacterial) cells (much more simple)
• Gene Transcription: The process of making a transcript from the DNA template in the form of RNA that can be transported into the cytoplasm, where it is used as a template to make a protein.
• IP3: Inositol-3-Phosphate; second messenger formed by the Phosphoinositol pathway that binds receptors in the ER/SR membrane to initiate a Calcium release into the cytoplasm
• Malignant Rhabdoid Tumour: A specific type of tumour that is found in the kidney, brain and other areas of the body and particularly affects younger children
• Myosin: One of two two basic components of muscle fibre, together with actin fascilitates muscle contraction
• Neuron: Nerve cell
• Nucleosome: Protein complex made up of 8 histone monomers; DNA is condensed by wrapping around individual nucleosomes to create a "beads on a string" structure
• Organelle: Component of cell-running machinery found in the cytoplasm that is separated from the inner cell environment by a membrane to form an occluded compartment within the cell; eg. mitochondria, ER; 
• p53: "Guardian of the Genome"; Tumour suppressor gene involved in pathways protecting a cell from becoming cancerous. Upon DNA damage p53 is activated and induces cell cycle arrest (i.e. stops the cell dividing) and may even induce programmed cell death (apoptosis).
• Phosphoinositol pathway: Signalling pathway that is stimulated by the binding of a ligand (can be a hormone for example) to a receptor on the cell-surface and the activation of Phospholipase C, which cleaves PIP2 in the cell membrane to form DAG and IP3 (second messengers); important first step in Calcium singalling pathways
• Plasma Membrane: The boundary that contains the cell and its contents within itself, made up of a Phospholipid bilayer and a great range of different proteins embedded in the bilayer
• Sarcoplasmic Reticulum (SR): The ER equivalent in muscle cells; major store of Calcium in muscle cells
• SERCA: Sarco-/Endoplasmic Reticulum Calcium ATPase; an ion pump found in the membrane of the SR / ER that uses energy in the form of ATP to pump Calcium from the cytoplasm into the SR / ER lumen
• SWI/SNF complex (pronounced "Switch-Sniff"): A type of ATP-dependent Remodeling Complex made up of 10-12 subunits
• Troponin: A protein found in muscle cells that, upon Calcium binding, initiates muscle contraction
• Tumour suppressor gene: Gene coding for a protein involved in mechanisms that protect a cell from uncontrolled cell growth (i.e. tumour formation)