Glossary

Characterized by the use of crop plants growing on the field as production organisms.

A philosophy of chemical research and engineering that encourages the design of products and processes that minimize the use and generation of hazardous substances.(also see: Sustainable Chemistry)

An online green building rating and certification tool that is used primarily in Canada and the USA. Green Globes was developed by ECD Energy and Environment Canada, and is both a guide for integrating green design and an assessment protocol.

Name given by William Goud to the dramatic increase in crop productivity during the third quarter of the 20th century, as result of integrated advances in genetics and plant breeding, agronomy, and pest and disease control.

Launched by the Green Building Council of Australia in 2003, Green Star is Australia's only national, voluntary, rating system for buildings and communities.

The trapping of the sun's warmth in a planet's lower atmosphere due to the greater transparency of the atmosphere to visible radiation from the sun than to infrared radiation emitted from the planet's surface.

Any of the gases whose absorption of solar radiation is responsible for the greenhouse effect, including carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6).

When a company, government or other group promotes green-based environmental initiatives or images but actually operates in a way that is damaging to the environment or in an opposite manner to the goal of the announced initiatives.

Any domestic wastewater produced, excluding sewage. The main difference between greywater and sewage (or blackwater) is the organic loading. Sewage has a much larger organic loading compared to greywater.Some people also categorize kitchen wastewater as blackwater because it has quite a high organic loading relative to other sources of wastewater such as bath water.

Global Reporting Initiative

An increase in cell size or cell number, or both, resulting in an increase in dry weight.

Any of various chemicals, particularly polypeptides, that have a variety of important roles in the stimulation of new cell growth and cell maintenance. They bind to the cell surface on receptors. Specific growth factors can cause new cell proliferation.

A hormone, secreted by the mammalian pituitary gland, that stimulates protein synthesis and growth of the long bones in the legs and arms. It also promotes the breakdown and use of fats as an energy source, rather than glucose. Production of growth hormone is greatest during early life. Its secretion is controlled by the opposing actions of two hormones from the hypothalamus: somatocrinin (growth-hormone-releasing hormone), which promotes its release; and somatostatin (growth hormone- inhibiting hormone), that inhibits the release of growth hormone from the anterior pituitary gland.

Any substance inhibiting the growth of an organism. The inhibitory effect can range from mild inhibition (growth retardation) to severe inhibition or death (toxic reaction). Two plant growth regulators that may act as inhibitors are ethylene and abscisic acid. The concentration of the inhibitor, the length of exposure to it, and the relative susceptibility of the organisms exposed to the inhibitor, are all important factors which determine the extent of the inhibitory effect.

A time-related phenomenon in which successive generations of bacteria grow through a membrane filter whose pores are small enough to prevent passage of the original parent organism.

Glass-Reinforced Plastic

General Services Administration

Global System for Mobile Communications

Gas Tungsten-Arc Welding

Gene Therapy Discussion Group

Gene Therapy Discussion Group (ICH)

Gas Transmission Rate

Global Traceability Standard in Healthcare

A purine base occurs naturally as a fundamental component of nucleic acids.