GLOSSARY OF GLORIOUS TERMS YOU WISH YOU NEVER HAD TO LEARN

This amazing Glossary of Glorious Terms You Wish You Never Had to Learn is available to you for quick reference on items you may be unfamiliar with. We know how overwhelming it can be when you’re trying to figure out the best course of action for your child!

The Glossary of Glorious Terms You Wish You Never Had to Learn comes from reputable publications that have been used throughout time for describing different terms and items that are dealt with in the medical community.

Acetylcholine: A neurotransmitter that conveys impulses from one nerve cell to another it’s released at the gap (called the synapse) between two cells. (4)

Active Transport: The movement of substances across cell membranes against a concentration gradient, requiring the expenditure of cellular energy (ATP). (1)

Adaptive Immune Response: Enables the immune system to recognize and remember specific pathogen and to mount stronger attacks in future encounters with the pathogen. (4)

Adenosine Monophosphate (AMP): A nucleotide composed of adenosine and one phospate group that is reversibly convertible to ADP and ATP in metabolic reactions. (4)

Adenosine Triphosphate: The main energy currency in living cells; used to transfer the chemical energy needed for metabolic reactions. ATP consists of the purine base adenine and the five-carbon sugar ribose, to which are added, in linear array, three phosphate groups. (1)

Adipose Tissue: Tissue composed of adipocytes specialized for triglyceride storage and present in the form of soft pads between various organs for support, protection and insulation. Otherwise, know as fatty tissue. (1)

Aerobic Cellular Respiration: The production of ATP (36 molecules) from the complete oxidation of pyruvic acid in mitochondria. Carbon dioxide, water, and heat are also produced. (1)

Amino Acids: The building blocks of proteins, synthesized by living cells or derived from food. (4)

Anaerobe: An organism that lives without oxygen present. (4)

Anaerobic: Living, active, occurring, or existing in the absence of free oxygen. (4)

Anaphylaxis: A hypersensitivity (allergic) reaction in which IgE antibodies attach to mast cells and basophils, causing them to produce mediators of anaphylaxis (histamine, leukotrienes, kinins, and prostaglandins) that bring about increased blood permeability, increased smooth muscle contraction, and increased mucus production. Examples are hay fever, hives and anaphylactic shock. (1)

Antibody: A protein produced within the body by specialized B cells, after stimulation by an antigen. They act against the specific antigen in an immune response. (compare to “cell-mediated” immune response.) (4)

Antigen: Anything foreign to the body that causes an immune response. (4)

Antigen Presenting Cells (APCs): Cells that take up an antigen and turn it into a form recognized by and serving to active a specific helper T cell. (4)

Antioxidant: A substance that inhibits oxidation, or reactions promoted by oxygen, peroxides, or free radicals. Beta-carotene and vitamin C are examples. (4)

Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA): A program for modifying behavior through the positive and negative reinforcement of targeted behaviors. (4)

Arachidonic Acid (AA): A liquid unsaturated fatty acid that occurs in most animal fats; it is a precursor of prostaglandins, and is considered essential in nutrition. (4)

Autoimmune Disease: The failure of the body to recognize its own parts as “self”, resulting in a destructive immune response against its own cells and tissues. (4)

Autonomic Nervous System (ANS): “Visceral Sensory (afferent) and visceral motor (efferent) neurons.  Autonomic motor neurons, both sympathetic and parasympathetic, conduct nerve impulses from the central nervous system to smooth muscle, cardiac muscle,  and glands.  So named because this part of the nervous system was thought to be self-governing or spontaneous.” (1)  In a nutshell, the ANS is made up of two divisions Parasympathetic and Sympathetic.

Autistic Enterocolitis: Lymphoid nodular hyperplasia (cell overgrowth in the lymph node; and mild-to-moderate inflammation of the intestine, in association with autism, and lacking the specific diagnostic features of either Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. (4)

Ataxia: A lack of muscular coordination, lack of precision. (1)

Axon: A long slender projection of a nerve cell, or neuron, that conducts electrical impulses away from the neuron’s cell body or soma.(2)

B Cells: Lymphocytes that have surfaces that can bind (disable)  antigens. They’re essential to the adaptive immune system. (4)

Babinski Sign: Extension of the great toe, with or without fanning of the other toes, in response to stimulation of the outer margin of the sole; normal up to 18 months of age and indicative of damage to descending motor pathways such as the corticospinal tracts after that. (1)

Betaine (Trimethylglycine or TMG): A metabolite of choline that participates in the S-adenosylmethionine synthesis pathways. (4)

Bilateral: Pertaining to two  sides of the body. (1)

Bile: A secretion of the