Glossary M-O  Metabolism: A general term applied to the chemical
process taking place in living tissues, necessary for the
maintenance of the living organism.  Micron: A unit of length in
the metric system equal to one-thousandth of a millimeter.
Mitochondria: Compartmentalized, double membrane, self-
reproducing organelles present in the cytoplasm of almost all
living cells.  Molecule: The smallest fundamental unit of a
substance which can exist in a free state and still retain the
chemical properties of the substance. A molecule consists of a
combination of atoms.  mRNA (messenger RNA): All cells store
their permanent genetic information in DNA, due to the inherent
stability of the DNA molecule. RNA is used to transmit this
information to the rest of the cell - DNA information is copied
into RNA, which can be read out by the cell's ribsomes. This RNA
is then dissoved into its component molecules and reused in the
creation of new RNA. These temporary RNA copies of DNA
information are known  as "messenger RNA