Glossary
Terms starting with I
221 definitions · page 2 of 4.
- inclusive fitness
- The expansion of the concept of the fitness of a genotype to include benefits accrued to relatives of an individual since relatives share parts of their genomes. Hence an apparently altruistic act toward a relative may in fact enhance the fitness of the…
- Income Tax
- The taxation of income was first authorized by the 16th amendment to the United States Constitution where Congress was granted the power to levy a tax on incomes from whatever source the income was derived. This is a wide open door and it has stayed open…
- Income Tax Penalty
- The internal revenue service is empowered by provisions in the tax code to assess a penalty in certain situations where the tax paid has been less than the amount that was actually owed. A tax penalty can also be assessed for tardy tax payments. The penalty…
- Incoming link
- a link from a site outside of your site.
- incomplete dominance
- The situation in which both alleles of a heterozygote influence the phenotype. The phenotype is usually intermediate between the two homozygous phenotypes. The situation in which a heterozygote shows a phenotype somewhere (but not exactly half-way)…
- Incorporation
- Incorporation refers to the legal process by which a corporation come in existence. The incorporation procedure is always governed by a state statutory scheme and is usually administered by the relevant Secretary of State for that jurisdiction. Once the…
- INCURRED BUT NOT REPORTED LOSSES IBNR
- Losses that are not filed with the insurer or reinsurer until years after the policy is sold. Some liability claims may be filed long after the event that caused the injury to occur. Asbestos-related diseases, for example, do not show up until decades after…
- INCURRED LOSSES
- Losses occurring within a fixed period, whether or not adjusted or paid during the same period.
- INDEMNIFY
- Provide financial compensation for losses.
- INDEPENDENT AGENT
- Agent who is self-employed, is paid on commission, and represents several insurance companies. (See Captive agent)
- independent assortment
- Mendel's second rule describing the independent segregation of alleles of different unlinked or remotely linked loci.
- INDEPENDENT POWER PRODUCER
- An Independent Power Producer (IPP) generates power that is purchased by an electric utility at wholesale prices. The utility then resells this power to end-use customers. Although IPPs generate power, they are not franchised utilities, government agencies…
- INDIGENOUS ENERGY RESOURCES
- Power and heat derived from sources native to California. These include geothermal, hydro, biomass, solar and wind energy. The term usually is understood to include cogeneration facilities.
- Individual Retirement Account IRA
- The IRA is a form of savings account. The advantage for many qualified persons is that contributions into the account are tax deductible up to a maximum dollar amount set by the statute. The income from the account will accumulate tax free as well…
- INDIVIDUAL RETIREMENT ACCOUNT IRA
- A tax-deductible savings plan for those who are self-employed, or those whose earnings are below a certain level or whose employers do not offer retirement plans. Others may make limited contributions on a tax-deferred basis. The Roth IRA, a special kind of…
- Individual Retirement Account, IRA
- The IRA is a form of savings account. The advantage for many qualified persons is that contributions into the account are tax deductible up to a maximum dollar amount set by the statute. The income from the account will accumulate tax free as well…
- INDIVIDUAL RETIREMENT ACCOUNT/IRA
- A tax-deductible savings plan for those who are self-employed, or those whose earnings are below a certain level or whose employers do not offer retirement plans. Others may make limited contributions on a tax-deferred basis. The Roth IRA, a special kind of…
- inducer
- An environmental agent that triggers transcription from an operon.
- inducible operon
- A gene system, often encoding a coordinated group of enzymes involved in a catabolic pathway, is inducible if an early metabolite in the pathway causes activation, usually by interaction with and inactivation of a repressor, of transcription of the genes…
- induction
- 1. The relief of repression for a gene or set of genes under negative control by a repressor. 2. Regarding temperate phages, the process causing a prophage to become virulent. 3. In development, an interaction between two cell lineages to alter the…
- inductive interaction
- The interaction between two groups of cells in which a signal passed from one group of cells causes the other group of cells to change their developmental state (or fate).
- industrial melanism
- The darkening of several species of moths during the recent period of industrialization in many countries by the spread of a gene controlling elevated melanin synthesis.
- Ineligible Ineligibility
- Immigration law says that certain conditions and actions prevent a person from entering the United States. These conditions and activities are called ineligibilities, and the applicant is ineligible for (cannot get) a visa. Examples are selling drugs, active…
- infectious transfer
- The rapid transmission of free episomes (plus any host chromosomal genes they may carry) from donor to recipient cells in a bacterial population.
- inferior conjunction
- the configuration of an inferior planet when it lies between the sun and Earth
- inferior planet
- a planet that orbits the sun inside of Earth’s orbit; includes Mercury and Venus
- INFILTRATION
- The uncontrolled inward leakage of air through cracks and gaps in the building envelope, especially around windows, doors and duct systems.
- INFILTRATION BARRIER
- A material placed on the outside or the inside of exterior wall framing to restrict inward air leakage, while permitting the outward escape of water vapor from the wall cavity. [See California Code of Regulations, Title 24, Section 2-5302]
- inflation
- a brief and extraordinarily rapid period of expansion a fraction of a second after the Big Bang
- INFLATION GUARD CLAUSE
- A provision added to a homeowners insurance policy that automatically adjusts the coverage limit on the dwelling each time the policy is renewed to reflect current construction costs.
- INFORMATION SERVICE
- Telephone calls made to 900 or 976 type services, but does not include Internet services.
- infrared
- a form of light with slightly lower energy than visible light but with greater energy than radio waves
- INFRASTRUCTURE
- generally refers to the recharging and refueling network necessary to successful development, production, commercialization and operation of alternative fuel vehicles, including fuel supply, public and private recharging and refueling facilities, standard…
- Infuse
- To extract the flavour from herbs, spices, tea or coffee either by pouring on boiling water and allowing the water to take on the flavours before drinking hot, or by bringing the mixture to the boil and allowing it to cool.
- Ingot
- An ingot is a metal bar or other shape that is used in jewellery making.
- initiation codon
- The mRNA sequence AUG, which specifies methionine, the first amino acid used in the translation process. (Occasionally GUG, valine, is recognized as an initiation codon).
- initiation complex
- The complex formed for initiation of translation. It consists of the 30S ribosomal subunit; mRNA; N-formyl-methionine tRNA; and three initiation factors .
- initiation factors (IF1 IF2 IF3)
- Proteins (prokaryotic with eukaryotic analogues) required for the proper initiation of translation.
- initiator protein
- Protein that recognizes the origin of replication on a replicon and takes part in primosome construction.
- INJECTION
- (Petroleum) -- Forcing gas or water into an oil well to increase pressure and cause more oil to come to the surface. See THERMALLY ENHANCED OIL RECOVERY.
- Inktomi
- search syndication service located at www.inktomi.com
- INLAND MARINE INSURANCE
- This broad type of coverage was developed for shipments that do not involve ocean transport. Covers articles in transit by all forms of land and air transportation as well as bridges, tunnels and other means of transportation and communication. Floaters that…
- inosine
- A rare base that is important at the wobble (3rd) position of some tRNA anticodons.
- Inquiry
- An objection lodged by a jockey or the stewards concerning a possible infraction during the running of a race.
- insertion mutagenesis
- Change in gene activity due to an insertion (of DNA) event that either changes the gene directly or disrupts control mechanisms.
- insertion sequence (IS)
- A mobile piece of bacterial DNA (several hundred nucleotide pairs in length) that is capable of inactivating a gene into which it inserts. Small simple transposons. See transposable genetic element.
- insertional translocation
- The insertion of a segment from one chromosome into another non-homologous chromosome.
- inside marker
- The middle locus of three linked loci.
- INSOLATION
- The total amount of solar radiation (direct, diffuse, and reflected) striking a surface exposed to the sky.
- INSOLVENCY
- Insurer’s inability to pay debts. Insurance insolvency standards and the regulatory actions taken vary from state to state. When regulators deem an insurance company is in danger of becoming insolvent, they can take one of three actions: place a company in…
- Insolvent
- Insolvent status, similar to being bankrupt, is simply being unable to meet current expenses as they come due. This is insolvency.
- Installed (or Nameplate) Capacity
- The total manufacturer-rated capacities of equipment such as turbines, generators, condensers, transformers, and other system components.
- Instant Conditioner
- A conditioner with light to intense conditioning properties that restores a healthy look and protects against further damage.
- Instant Game
- A lottery ticket that requires the player to remove a latex coating to determine if the ticket is a winner. Also called 'Scratch-off Game' or 'Scratcher'.
- INSTITUTIONAL INVESTOR
- An organization such as a bank or insurance company that buys and sells large quantities of securities.
- Instruction Package
- The letter to immigrant visa applicants which tells them of the documents which they need to prepare before an immigrant visa interview can be scheduled. In the past we called it Packet 3.
- INSULATION THERMAL
- A material having a relatively high resistance of heat flow and used principally to retard heat flow. See R-VALUE.
- INSULATION, THERMAL
- A material having a relatively high resistance of heat flow and used principally to retard heat flow. See R-VALUE.
- INSURABLE RISK
- Risks for which it is relatively easy to get insurance and that meet certain criteria. These include being definable, accidental in nature, and part of a group of similar risks large enough to make losses predictable. The insurance company also must be able…
- INSURANCE
- A system to make large financial losses more affordable by pooling the risks of many individuals and business entities and transferring them to an insurance company or other large group in return for a premium.