Plasmid - A ring of DNA usually found in bacteria that is separate from and can replicate independently from DNA in a chromosome and can provide bacteria with some advantages, such as antibiotic resistance.⏎
Outbreak - An unexpected increase in the incidence of a particular disease over a given time period and geographic range. A general term that may refer either to an epidemic or a pandemic.⏎
Organism - A living being that can reproduce, grow, react to external stimuli, and maintain its internal equilibrium.⏎
Protein - Large molecules composed of one or more chains of amino acids in a specific order determined by the base sequence of nucleotides in the DNA coding.⏎
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) - Part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health, NIAID conducts and supports basic and applied research to better understand, treat, and ultimately prevent infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases.⏎