DICTIONARY

phenomena that can originate in the eye when the vitreous gel pulls on or separates from the retina such as during or after a posterior vitreous detachment or from the visual centers of the brain such as what sometimes occurs ...

Small clumps of cells or tissue that “float” in the clear gel of the vitreous body, the large chamber of the eyeball behind the lens and before the retina.  Light travels through the clear lens and vitreous gel to focus ...

A unique immune cell type able to kill cancer and virus-infected cells. The nature of the killer receptors expressed on natural killer cells (NK cells), mediating this killing, and their ligands, is only little understood. Four lysis receptors for human ...

An aromatic spice obtained from the plant’s underground rhizomes that contains curcuminoid compounds of which curcumin is the most important. It is especially effective in reducing inflammation because it lowers levels of cytokines causing inflammation. Found to lower anxiety, depression, ...

technical term: a poisonous substance of plant or animal origin1 such as poisons produced by microcsopic bacteria, molds, and viruses and venoms from animal bites and stings. non-technical term: environmental pollutants such as synthetic additives to food, heavy metals, drugs, chemicals, and ...

This small protein that is made up of the 3 amino acids glutamic acid, glycine and cysteine is our master anti-oxidant! Glutathione protects and repairs cell membranes and DNA from damage, removes carcinogens, and restores two other important anti-oxidants, namely ...

An inherited disease in which much of the genetic susceptibility maps to the HLA region on chromosome 6, as approximately 95% of celiac disease patients carry an almost identical HLA DQ2 heterodimer (DQA1*0501 DQB1*0201). In most individuals who are negative ...

The inherited immune sensitivity to ingested gluten in celiac disease is caused by activation of effector CD4+ T cells (T-helper cells) in the lamina propria (tissues underlying the mucosal surface) by peptides derived from gluten protein in wheat, rye, barley and, for some ...

Minute structures densely covering and projecting from the surface membrane (called brush border) of intestinal epithelial cells that form villi  for the purpose of absorbing nutrients and producing enzymes which finish digestion of carbohydrates including lactose, sucrose, and maltose and ...

Surface membrane of intestinal epithelial cells that compose villi where absorption of nutrients takes place by densely packed microvilli that form the brush border and which prevents physical contact between undigested food and bacteria within the small intestine and body ...

An inherited immune reaction to gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and to a lesser toxicity, oats that damages the lining of the small intestine, causes leaky gut, interferes with the proper absorption of nutrients, and has the ...

Disease producing organism, so that infection results if the organism invades the body.

Thread-like structure.  

A small, shiny brown, edible and nutritious seed produced by the flax plant that is the most important food source of alpha linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid. These seeds need to be ground because whole seeds cannot otherwise be ...

This complex disease refers to both gastric ulcers in the lining of the stomach and duodenal ulcers in the initial part of the duodenum. Peptic ulcers have high morbidity (poor health) and death rates.