F

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Faeces

The solid waste voided from the anus.


Fats

A family of molecules that are widespread in living systems and form essential components of our diet and cellular structure. Also called lipids. For example, cellular membranes are made of a double layer of lipid molecules. Fats can also be stored in adipose tissue for later use as a source of energy.


Fertilization

The process during which a sperm penetrates the egg and contributes a haploid set of chromosomes to the haploid chromosomes of the egg, thus restoring the diploid number of chromosomes.


Functional Genomics

The new science of assigning functions to the millions of genes in humans and other organisms whose genomes are being sequenced. This includes the way that the activities of individual genes and their protein products are integrated within the whole complex web of metabolic processes within the organism. For a useful overview see: Nature insight: functional genomics, Nature, 405, 819-865 (Jun 15, 2000).

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