| focus-forming assay | <investigation> A lab technique used to find out if a particular piece of DNA contains oncogenes (genes which are associated with cancer). This is done by putting the DNA into animal cells which normally show contact inhibition, or which stop growing when they come into physical contact with other cells or reach a certain density in the culture. If the cells lose contact inhibition and form areas of densely-packed cells (called foci) after receiving the DNA, it means that the DNA did contain oncogenes. (05 Jan 1997) |
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| focus-forming unit | A measurement of the concentration of live virus in a given amount of fluid. This is measured by spreading a known amount of the fluid over a layer of cultured cells which are infected by the virus, then counting the number of areas in the culture which look infected. (09 Oct 1997) |
| forming face | The side of the Golgi apparatus which faces the rough endoplasmic reticulum, where vesicles budding off of the rough endoplasmic reticulum fuse to the Golgi apparatus. Also called the cis side of the Golgi apparatus. (09 Oct 1997) |
| Friend spleen focus forming virus | <virology> Defective virus found in certain strains of Friend virus, detected by its ability to form foci in spleens of mice and believed to be responsible in those strains for the production of a leukaemia associated with polycythaemia rather than anaemia. (18 Nov 1997) |
| lignin-forming peroxidase | <enzyme> Involved in polymerization of cinnamyl alcohols into lignin;amino acid sequence has been determined for tobacco enzyme Registry number: EC 1.11.1.- (26 Jun 1999) |