Vector (biology)

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In biology, the term vector may be used in different contexts:

• Vector (epidemiology), an organism, often an invertebrate arthropod, that transmits a pathogen from reservoir to host
• Vector (molecular biology), vehicle used to transfer genetic material to a target cell
  • Plasmid vector
  • Binary vector, a cloning vector used to generate transgenic plants
  • Cloning vector
  • Expression vector, a plasmid specifically used for protein expression in the target
  • Shuttle vector, a vector (usually a plasmid) constructed so that it can propagate in two different host species
  • Viral vector, a virus modified to deliver foreign genetic material into a cell
• Vector (dispersal), an organism that carries and disperses reproductive structures (e.g., seeds, spores, or pollen) of a different species.
  • Pollinator, the biotic agent (vector) that moves pollen from the male anthers of a flower to the female stigma of a flower to accomplish fertilization

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