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A |
| Acid-base balance |
The normal balance between acids and alkalis in the body. |
| Amino acid |
Building block of proteins |
| Anaemia |
A deficiency in the oxygen-carrying component of the blood. |
| Antibodies |
A protein produced by the immune system in response to the presence of an antigen. It defends the body against substances identified by the immune system as potentially harmful. |
| Antigen |
A substance that induces the formation of antibodies because it is recognized by the immune system as a threat. It may be a foreign substance from the environment (such as chemicals) or formed within the body (such as bacterial or viral toxins). |
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Antioxidants |
Any substance that reduces oxidative damage (damage due to oxygen) such as that caused by free radicals. |
| Arthritis |
Inflammation of a joint. When joints are inflammed they can develop stiffness, warmth, swelling, redness and pain. |
| ATP |
Adenosine triphosphate - the major source of energy for reactions in cells. |
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B |
| Bacteria |
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| Buffers |
A substance that minimizes change in the acidity of a solution when an acid or base is added to the solution. |
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C |
| Carotenoids |
Found in foods of plant origin in the form of common plant pigments - such as yellow-orange pigment of carrots - and converted to vitamin A. |
| Carbohydrates |
Mainly sugars and starches, together with proteins and fats, constituting one of the three principal types of nutrients used as energy sources by the body. |
| Cardiovascular disease |
Disease affecting the heart or blood vessels. |
| Cataracts |
A clouding of the lens of the eye. The normally clear lens of the eye starts to become cloudy. |
| Catalysts |
A substance that modifies and increases the rate of a reaction without being consumed in the process. |
| Chronic |
Means lasting a long time. |
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Coenzyme |
A small molecule (not a protein) essential for the activity of some enzymes. |
| Coenzyme A |
A coenzyme that occurs in all living cells and is essential to the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and some amino acids. |
| Creatine Phosphate |
An organic compound found in muscle tissue and capable of storing and providing energy for muscular contraction. |
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D |
| Diabetes Mellitus |
Better known just as "diabetes" - a chronic disease associated with abnormally high levels of the sugar, glucose, in the blood. |
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Differentiation |
The growth of cells into a specific type of cell. |
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DNA |
The molecule that encodes genetic information in the nucleus of cells. It determines the structure, function and behaviour of the cell. |
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E |
| Edema |
An excessive accumulation of fluid in tissue spaces or a body cavity. |
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Enzyme |
Any of several complex proteins that are produced by cells and act as catalysts in specific biochemical reactions. |
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Epithelial cells |
The outside layer of cells that covers all the free, open surfaces of the body including the skin, and mucous membranes that communicate with the outside of the body. |
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|
Located or occurring outside a cell or cells. |
