This page defines terms in the way they are used on this site.

Adsorption
The process of becoming bound to a surface.

Aetiology
The discovered origination of a disease or health condition.

Altricial
Born helpless and requiring parental care.

Amyloid protein
A basic, structural protein that has the ability to aggregate into fibrils.

Antibody
A complex molecular structure produced by immune system cells called B cells, after provocation by an antigen. It is capable of specifically binding with that antigen as a first step towards the destruction and elimination of the antigen.

Antigen
A molecular species that is capable of inducing the production of antibodies in the host. In a neonate’s gut, any food other than mother’s milk is likely to be treated as an invasive antigen. In time, the infant gut matures to deal with a mixture of food sources without alerting the body’s immune system and weaning can be done safely, but any earlier antigen exposure is likely to produce a persistent antibody production response well into adulthood.

Antigen-antibody complex
An immune complex formed from the integral binding of an antibody to an antigen or antigens. The action of immune complexes varies from individual to individual, perhaps genetically. It appears that immune complexes can have structures that make them bind to specific tissue components in such places as articulating joints, bronchiolar structures, the islets of Langerhans, or colder regions of the body such as the skin. The conjunction of antigen and antibody normally triggers the complement reaction process.

Atopy
In the original definition of this term there is the principle that symptoms are ‘out of place’ or ‘without place’. In modern interpretation, there is a fashionable link to genetic predisposition. I have considered the idea of ‘lacking a place’ to refer to the link between cause and symptom, and I use the term ‘atopic’ to describe disease symptoms that have arisen through the corruption of the immune system by environmental or nutritional influences. Thus, early-onset diabetes may be considered an atopic symptom of an immune reaction to dairy foods and beef. It may be more appropriate to use the term atopic disease syndrome.

Autologous transfer
A transplant of cells or tissue from one part of a body to another part of the same individual.

Basal lamina
The layer of basement membrane directly in contact with epithelial cells.

Basement membrane
Epithelial cells are anchored in a basement membrane consisting largely of structural protein fibrils embedded in a matrix of glycoproteins. This membrane separates the surface epithelium from most underlying cellular structures but allows diffusion of oxygen and nutrients from nearby blood capillaries.

Cavies
Another word for guinea pigs. Cavies are rodents native to South America.

Complement reaction or cascade
When antibodies become attached to their specific antigen the antigen-antibody complex that is formed serves as a focus for a series of reactions designed to immobilise and destroy an invading organism. When the reaction is in response to ingested antigens, the response may give rise to the destructive inflammation of gut and associated tissues. This pattern of complement reactions forms the basis of many allergic symptoms and Type 1 diabetes. The localisation of inflammation may result from the antigen-antibody complex being selectively adherent to particular tissue components.

Dermis
The layer of skin tissue beneath the epidermis.

Enantiomers
Optical isomers (see below) or mirror image copies of a molecule of a chemical compound.

Enterovirus
A type of virus transmitted through oral, nasal, or faecal contact. Polio is an enterovirus.

Epigenetics, epigenes
Epigenes control the expression of genes. Epigenetics refers to external modifications to DNA that cause genes to be active or inactive. These modifications do not change the DNA sequence, however.

Epitope
An epitope is the part of an antigen that binds with the antibody paratope

Foods of bovine origin
Foods deriving from dairy products or beef, including but not limited to cow’s milk and its products, steak, gelatine, dripping, casein, whey, Bovril ™, etc.

Haematopoietic
Relating to the production of blood cells.

Ischaemia
The restriction of blood supply.

Isomer
An isomer is a compound with the same molecular formula as another molecule, but with a different molecular structure.

Lumen
An enclosed space, for example, within the gut or blood vessel.

Microchimeric
Including a small percentage of cells from another individual. Microchimerism may be due to the transplacental transfer of cells between mother and foetus or between foetal twins.

Narcoleptic
Narcolepsy is a neurological condition most characterised by a tendency to fall asleep involuntarily during daytime.

Paratope
A paratope is the antigen binding site of an antibody.

Precocial
Offspring born with independent locomotory ability at or close to birth.

Proteolytic
A protein-digesting substance, usually an enzyme.

Psychosomatic
Bodily symptoms caused by mental stress.

Somatic
Relating to the body, as distinct from the mind.

Somatopsychic
Mental symptoms caused by bodily illness.

Transplacental transfer
Carried across the placenta to or from the developing foetus.

Ungulate
A hoofed mammal.

Villi
Simple, finger like projections of the endoderm of the small intestine that extend about 1 mm into the gut lumen, including blood capillaries, to assist the absorption of digested foods and lipids by increasing the surface area of the gut. Villus-type structures also exist at the interface of the foetal and maternal vascular systems in the placenta.