| Alleles | Different variations of a gene at a specific spot in the genome. |
| Annelids | Segmented worms; the best known one is the earthworm. |
| Antibiotic resistance | Some organisms carry genes that make them resistant to antibiotics. These resistance genes are used as so-called markers during the production of genetically modified organisms. After the gene technology procedure, these markers make it possible to recognize those cells in which the gene transfer has been successful. |
| Scab | Apple tree disease caused by the fungus Venturia inaequalis. It is responsible for severe crop losses in apple plantations worldwide. |
| Bt maize | Genetically modified maize which carries a gene of the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis. Currently, several varieties of Bt maize are already being produced. Best known are the ones that are resistant to the European corn borer. These varieties carry the Bt gene that enables them to produce the Cry 1Ab protein. This protein kills pests. |
| Cross-breeding | Transfer of character traits from one individual to another, in plants mostly through pollen. |
| Bacillus thuringiensis | Bacterium which occurs naturally in the soil. Different strains produce different proteins (Cry proteins), which are toxic to many beetles, butterflies and dipterans (bees, wasps). |
| Arthropods | Invertebrate animals with a segmented body and jointed appendages which commonly live in or on the ground. They include animals such as centipedes, insects, spiders and mites. |
| Caryophyllene | Odorous substance released by maize under attack by a pest. |
| Chlamydomonas | Genus of unicellular green algae. |
| Chloroplasts | Organelles of the plant cell where photosynthesis takes place (glucose and oxygen are produced from carbon dioxide and water with light as the energy source). |
| Cry protein | Protein produced by the various strains of the Bacillus thuringiensis bacterium (cry = crystal). This protein is toxic to certain insects. To this day, more than 170 variants of this protein are known. One of them is the Cry 1Ab, lethal to the larvae of the European corn borer. Another one is the Cry 3Bb1, effective against the western corn rootworm. |
| DNA | Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a long-chained biomolecule found in all living organisms. It carries the genetic information. |
| Roundworms | Small white to transparent thread-shaped worms that live in a humid environment such as the soil (in Latin: Nematoda). |
| Fungicide | Chemical or biological active ingredient that kills fungi or their spores, or that inhibits their growth. |
| Furunculosis | Disease of noble fish (trout, salmon) caused by the bacterium Aeromonas salmonicida ssp. Salmonicida. |
| Gene technology | Methods which make it possible to turn on or switch off single genes, to isolate them and to introduce them into another organism. Owing to these genetic modifications, the target organism then exhibits new characteristics. |
| Transfer of genes | Transfer of one or several genes into the genome of an individual of the same or of another species (plant, animal or bacterium) by means of gene technology methods. |
| Coexistence | The side by side cultivation of plants with and without genetically engineered modifications. A controversial subject in Switzerland, as it is feared that because of the country's small scale agriculture, coexistence is not feasible. The law on gene technology demands the safeguard of production without genetically modified organisms as well as freedom of choice. |
| European corn borer | European butterfly. Its larvae feed on the stems and ears of maize plants and cause crop loss (in Latin: Ostrinia nubilalis). |
| Mildew | Common disease that affects cereals. It is caused by the fungus Blumeria graminis. |
| Mycorrhizal fungi | Fungi that live in the soil in symbiosis with the roots of many plants. The fungi help the plants to absorb certain nutrients such as phosphate. In return, the fungi obtain sugar from the plants. |
| Pesticide | Chemical or biological active ingredient that kills insects or inhibits their growth. |
| Phytometer plants | Plants cultivated under ideal conditions in the greenhouse that are then inserted into an existing population of plants. The growth and the development of these single plants (phytometer plants) are watched closely. This allows conclusions to be drawn about the environmental conditions to which the plants are exposed. |
| Pm3 resistance gene | A barley gene that induces resistance against mildew. |
| Pseudomonas | A genus of motile rod-shaped bacteria found almost everywhere in the environment. Most species feed on dead plant material. Some species include pathogenic strains that are also dangerous to human beings. |
| Symbiosis | The living-together of organisms of different species. In a symbiosis, both organisms benefit from this situation. |
| Transgene | Gene that was introduced into the genome of another species (plant, animal or bacterium) using gene technology methods. |
| Wheat line/b> | Progeny of a single wheat plant. Due to their close relationship, they are very similar. |
| Western corn rootworm | Small South American beetle that has been spreading throughout Europe since the 1990s. The larvae feed on maize roots and cause significant crop losses (in Latin: Diabrotica virgifera). |
