Glossary
A1C
A diagnostic test that detects how much glucose has been present in the bloodstream over the last 2 to 3 months prior. It is also called HbA1C, Hemoglobin A1C, and glycohemoglobin testing.
Specifically, the test measures the amount of glucose that is attached to hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying molecule in the bloodstream. The amount is proportional to the amount of glucose present in the bloodstream.
acinar cells
Acinar cells are located in the pancreas and secret digestive enzymes (exocrine function).
adult stem cell
An undifferentiated (unspecialized) precursor cell found in a differentiated (specialized) tissue that can proliferate indefinitely. Under certain conditions, adult stem cells can differentiate into all the specialized cell types of the tissue from which they originated.
alloimmunity
The process by which an organism is immune to components (proteins, cells, or other antigens) from members of its own species, due to genetic diversity. Alloimmunity is a common issue in organ transplantation.
alpha cells
Highly specialized cells found in the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas that produce and secrete glucagon into the bloodstream.
amino acid
One of the 20 building blocks of proteins. All amino acids contain an amino (NH2) group, a carboxyl group (COOH) and a side group (R). In proteins, amino acids are joined together when the NH2 group of one forms a bond with the COOH group of the adjacent amino acid. The side group is what distinguishes each of the amino acids from the others.
amino-terminus
The amino terminus is also known as the N-terminus. It is the beginning region of a polypeptide chain.
anabolic
Referring to anabolism, a process by which molecules are constructed from smaller ones.
antibody
Any of a large family of glycoprotein molecules known as immunoglobulins. There are normally present in the body and are produced by B-lymphocytes in response to an antigen which it neutralizes thereby creating an immune response. Their name of immunoglobulin is derived from the fact that they migrate with globular proteins when antibody-containing serum is placed in an electric field.
antigen
A substance, whether innate to the organism or foreign to it, that stimulates an immune response in the form of production or mobilization of antibodies.
autoimmunity
A condition by which the host immune system mounts a response against its own tissues or organs. Autoimmune responses typically lead to a wide array of medical conditions such as Type I (juveline) diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus erythematosus, etc...
