medical readiness, or present a risk to U.S. national security. Its purpose is to create a centralized coordination and communication hub to help organize DoD resources and link with U.S. and international efforts.

Glycoprotein:

A molecule that consists of a carbohydrate plus a protein.

Gram-negative:

Gram-negative bacteria lose the crystal violet stain (and take the color of the red counterstain) in Gram’s method of staining.

Gram-positive:

Gram-positive bacteria, such as anthrax, retain the color of the crystal violet stain in the Gram stain. This is characteristic of bacteria that have a cell wall composed of a thick layer of a particular substance (called peptidologlycan).

HAN (Health Alert Network):

A project of the CDC intended to ensure communications capacity at all local and state health departments, ensure capacity to receive distance learning offerings from CDC, and ensure capacity to broadcast and receive health alerts at every level.

Hemolytic:

Referring to hemolysis, the destruction of red blood cells which leads to the release of hemoglobin from within the red blood cells into the blood plasma.

Hybridoma:

A cell hybrid resulting from the fusion of a cancer cell and a normal lymphocyte (a type of white blood cell).

Hypoxia:

Low oxygen content or tension; deficiency of oxygen in the inspired air.

Immunogenicity:

The property that endows a substance with the capacity to provoke an immune response or the degree to which a substance possesses this property.

Immunomodulator:

A chemical agent (as methotrexate or azathioprine) that modifies the immune response or the functioning of the immune system (as by the stimulation of antibody formation or the inhibition of white blood cell activity).

Incidence:

The frequency of new occurrences of disease within a defined time interval. Incidence rate is the number of new cases of a specified disease divided by the number of people in a population over a specified period of time, usually one year.

IND (Investigational New Drug) Application:

An application submitted by a sponsor to the FDA prior to human testing of an unapproved drug or of a previously approved drug for an unapproved use.

Infection:

The invasion of the body or a part of the body by a pathogenic agent, such as a microorganism or virus. Under favorable conditions the agent develops or multiplies, the results of which may produce injurious effects. Infection should not be confused with disease.

IPV (inactivated polio vaccine):

A vaccine for polio given as a shot in the arm or leg. The polio virus in IPV has been inactivated (killed). Also called the Salk vaccine.