CORN, GLYPHOSATE, GLYPHOSATE OXIDASE, CP4

EPSPS, HERBICIDE-TOLERANT CROP, SULFOSATE,

mEPSPS, CHLOROPLASTS, CHLOROPLAST TRANSIT

PEPTIDE (CTP), TARGET (OF A HERBICIDE OR

INSECTICIDE).

EPSPS See EPSP SYNTHASE, CP4 EPSPS, mEPSPS.

ER See ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM.

Ergotamine A mycotoxin (i.e., metabolite produced by a fungus, that is toxic to animals and humans) produced by the fungus (Claviceps spp.) known as ergot. Ergotamine is an alkaloid vasoconstrictor, whose consumption can lead to severe constriction of blood vessels in the brain and extremities, causing hallucinations and dry gangrene. Humans whose bodies are deficient in vitamin A are especially vulnerable to ergotism (“ergot poisoning”). See also MYCOTOXINS, TOXIN,

FUNGUS, VITAMIN.

Erwinia caratovora A species of bacteria that can cause significant postharvest losses to potato farmers, when it infects potatoes and causes “soft rot” (spoilage). See also BACTERIA,

SPECIES.

Erwinia uredovora See GOLDEN RICE.

Erythrocytes (red blood cells) Hemoglobincontaining cells (manufactured in the bone marrow) that transport the oxygen from the lungs to the body tissues where it is needed.

Erythropoiesis The formation of red blood cells from certain stem cells. Stimulated by the protein erythropoietin. See also STEM

CELLS, ERYTHROPOIETIN (EPO).

Erythropoietin (EPO) A glycoprotein hormone produced in the kidneys that stimulates stem cells in the bone marrow to increase the number of red blood cells. Erythropoietin can be used to help correct a variety of anemias. See also GLYCOPROTEIN,

HORMONE, ERYTHROCYTES, STEM CELLS.

Escherichia coli See ESCHERICHIA COLIFORM

(E. COLI).

Escherichia coli 0157:H7 (E. coli 0157:H7)

See ESCHERICHIA COLIFORM 0157:H7.

Escherichia coliform (E. coli) A bacterium that commonly inhabits the human intestine as well as the intestine of other vertebrates (animals possessing a skeleton). The most thoroughly studied of all bacteria, Escherichia coli is used in many microbiological experiments. It has historically been considered the

© 2002 by CRC Press LLC

Essential Amino Acids Those amino acids that cannot be synthesized by humans and most other vertebrates, and therefore must be obtained from the diet. They are phenylalanine, valine, threonine, tryptophan, isoleucine, methionine, histidine, arginine, leucine, and lysine (glycine and proline for poultry). See also AMINO ACID, LYSINE (lys),

ETEIN DIGESTIBILITY-CORRECTED AMINO ACID SCORING (PDCAAS).METHIONINE (met), SOY PROTEIN, OPAGUE-2, PRO-

Essential Fatty Acids The group of polyunsaturated fatty acids of plants that are required in the human diet, because the human body cannot synthesize (manufacture) them, yet must have them for proper functioning (of the body’s metabolism, immune system function, etc.). These include linoleic acid, linolenic acid, arachidonic acid, and docosahexanoic acid. If humans and other higher animals do not consume enough essential fatty acids per day, they suffer decreased growth rates, increased susceptibility to infection, impaired reproduction, kidney damage, and other adverse physiological effects. See also FATTY ACID,

SOYBEAN OIL, LECITHIN, FATS, ESSENTIAL NUTRI-

ENTS, POLYUNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS (PUFA),

LINOLEIC ACID, LINOLENIC ACID, DOCOSAHEX-

ANOIC ACID (DHA), ARACHIDONIC ACID (AA).

Essential Nutrients Chemical compounds in foods required for (consuming organism’s) life, growth, or tissue repair, and cannot be synthesized by that organism. See also

ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS, ESSENTIAL FATTY

ACIDS, ESSENTIAL POLYUNSATURATED FATTY

ACIDS, VITAMIN.

Essential Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids See

ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS.

EST See EXPRESSED SEQUENCE TAGS (EST).

Estrogen A female sex hormone, secreted by the ovaries, that promotes estrus and helps to regulate the pituitary gland’s production of luteinizing hormone (LH) and folliclestimulating hormone (FSH). Estrogen causes proliferation of breast tissue (cells) and is also responsible for the development of female secondary sex characteristics (e.g., smaller body size, lack of facial hair, higher pitch voice in humans). Research indicates that lack of estrogen (e.g., in post-menopausal

women) makes humans more prone to colon cancer and heart disease, but less prone to the “hormone dependent” cancers (ovarian cancer, uterine cancer, etc.). See also

MONE, PITUITARY GLAND, FOLLICLE STIMULATING

HORMONE (FSH), SELECTIVE ESTROGEN EFFECT,

TESTOSTERONE, LUTEINIZING HORMONE (LH),

HYPOTHALAMUS, CANCER, CELL.

Ethylene A plant hormone synthesized (manufactured) by some plants to induce ripening (of their fruit). See also PLANT HORMONE, ACC

SYNTHASE, ACC, SAM-K GENE.

Etiological Agent (of a disease) The microorganism (or other agent) that causes the dis-

ease. See also PATHOGEN, ETIOLOGY.

Etiology The science (study) of the cause (source) of a disease. See also PATHOGEN,

ETIOLOGICAL AGENT.

Eucaryote Also spelled eukaryote. A cell characterized by compartmentalization (by membranes) of its extensive internal structures; or an organism made up of such cells. For example, eucaryotes possess a distinct membrane-surrounded nucleus containing the DNA. Eucaryotic cells (e.g., human cells) are much larger and more complex than procaryotic cells (e.g., bacteria). The cells of all higher organisms, both plant and animal, are eucaryotic, so those higher (complex) organisms are often referred to as eucaryotes. Most eucaryotic organisms cannot survive temperatures greater than 131°F (55°C). However, one called the Pompeii worm (Alvinella pompejana) can withstand long-term exposure in water up to a temperature of 176°F (80°C). See also PROCARYOTES,

CELL, THERMOPHILE, DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID

(DNA), PLASMA, MEMBRANE, MICROTUBULES.

Eugenics First formulated by Francis Galton, who was a contemporary of Gregor Mendel in the 19th century, eugenics is the concept that a species can be “improved” by encouraging reproduction of only those organisms in that species that possess “desired” traits. This belief became popular in a number of countries during the early 20th century. Margaret Sanger, founder of America’s Planned Parenthood organization, referred to Afri- can-Americans as “human weeds” and called for “more children from the fit, less from the unfit.” Based upon Charles Darwin’s

written assertion that “the civilized races of man will almost certainly exterminate and replace the savage races,” a number of large genocides were committed by national governments. See also GENETICS, GENE, TRAIT,

GENOTYPE, HEREDITY, HERITABILITY, GENOME.

Eukaryote See EUCARYOTE.

Euploid A cell carrying an exact multiple of the haploid chromosome number. For example, a diploid possesses twice the haploid number of chromosomes. See also HAPLOID,

DIPLOID, CHROMOSOMES.

European Corn Borer (ECB) Also known as pyralis. Latin name Ostrinia nubilalis, it is an insect whose larvae (caterpillars) eat and bore into the corn/maize plant (Zea mays L.). In doing so, they can act as vectors (i.e., carriers) of the fungi known as Aspergillus flavus (source of aflatoxin) or

Fusarium moniliforme (source of fumonisin) or Aspergillus parasiticus (source of aflatoxin). Full-grown ECB larvae winter by sheltering inside a variety of vegetative materials (e.g., plant stalks lying on top of soil in some fields). ECB control can be effected by some of the following methods:

1.Spraying of conventional synthetic chemical pesticides

2.Spraying of pesticides produced via promulgation of Bacillus thuringiensis

(B.t.) bacteria

3.Incorporating a (protoxin) gene from

Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t.) into the DNA of the corn plant, so that the plant itself produces B.t. protoxin

As part of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), farmers can utilize:

1.Corn possessing Bacillus thuringiensis

(B.t.) gene(s) to control populations of ECB without applying insecticides

2.The parasitic Euplectrus comstockki wasp to help control the ECB. (When that wasp’s venom is injected into ECB larva, it stops the larva from molting and thus maturing)

3.Additional methods, alone or in concert with above

See also CORN, FUNGUS, AFLATOXIN, INTEGRATED

PEST MANAGEMENT (IPM), BACILLUS THURINGIENSIS

(B.t.), B.t. KURSTAKI, FUSARIUM, FUSARIUM MONILI-

FORME, ASIAN CORN BORER, PROTOXIN, VOLICITIN.

European Medicines Evaluation Agency (EMEA) A London-based agency of the European Union (EU) that began operation in 1995. It coordinates drug licensing and safety matters throughout the nations of the

EU. Its licensing/approval process is com- E pulsory throughout the EU. See also COMMIT-

TEE FOR PROPRIETARY MEDICINAL PRODUCTS

(CPMP), MEDICINES CONTROL AGENCY

FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION

KOSEISHO, BUNDESGESUNDHEITSAMT COMMITTEE ON SAFETY IN MEDICINES, COMMITTEE FOR VETERINARY MEDICINAL PRODUCTS (CVMP).

European Patent Convention A n i n t e r n a - tional patent treaty signed in 1973, by which the countries of Europe agreed to recognize and honor the patents granted by each country, plus those patents granted by the European Patent Office (EPO). Plant varieties or animal breeds were initially excluded from patentability by the European Patent Convention. In 1998, the European Parliament removed that exclusion. See also EUROPEAN

PATENT OFFICE (EPO), U.S. PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE (USPTO), PLANT’S NOVEL TRAIT

(PNT), PLANT BREEDER’S RIGHTS (PBR), UNION FOR PROTECTION OF NEW VARIETIES OF PLANTS

(UPOV).

European Patent Office (EPO) The Munich, Germany-based agency of the European Union (EU) — established in 1977 — that is responsible for common patent protection matters for all of the (EU) member countries, plus the non-EU countries of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The European Patent Office originally did not allow a “plant or animal breed” to be patented, whereas its U.S. counterpart — the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) — does allow patenting of microbes, plants, and animals (e.g., those which have been genetically engineered by man). In 1998, the European Parliament removed that exclusion, and in 1999, the European Patent Court issued a ruling which caused the European Patent Convention to allow patents on novel plants, thus making the two patent systems compatible.