Absorption – process by which nutrient substances are taken in and processed by the small intestine before being moved into the blood stream to be used around your body.
Albumin – the main protein in human blood, manufactured by the liver. Low albumin levels are an indication of liver damage.
ALT – alanine aminotransferase, a liver enzyme that enters the blood following liver damage. An increase in ALT levels, as measured in liver function tests, may indicate the presence of liver disease.
AST – aspartate aminotransferase, a liver enzyme but less specifi c to the liver than ALT (see above). A raised AST level may follow a heart attack, for example.
Bile – a yellow/green fl uid made by the liver to help digest foods containing fat and cholesterol.
Biliary – anything to do with the bile ducts.
Cell – the most basic and smallest functioning unit or ‘building block’ of living things. Your body is made up of cells, each with its own unique functions and features. Within the outer skin (membrane) of each cell is a central compartment known as the cell ‘nucleus’ that contains your genetic material.
Chromosome – a single, long molecule of DNA that holds our genes, contained within the nucleus of a cell. A cell should contain 46 chromosomes in two pairs of 23. One set of 23 chromosomes is inherited from the egg of the biological mother and the other from the sperm of the biological father. Chromosomes are numbered from 1 to 22 (and known as ‘autosomes’) with the 23rd pair, the sex chromosomes, designated ‘X’ and ‘Y’.
Chelation therapy – a method of removing metals from the body in which chemical compounds are either injected or taken orally (as in copperchelation therapy) to enter the bloodstream and bind to metals that are present in toxic concentrations. This will form a new compound that can be excreted from the body.
Cirrhosis – where infl ammation and fi brosis have spread to disrupt the shape and function of the liver. Even with no signs or symptoms of liver disease, the working capacity of liver cells has been badly impaired and they are unable to repair the liver. This is permanent cell damage and can lead to liver failure or liver cancer.
DNA – deoxyribonucleic acid, the chemical compound of which chromosomes are made and which contains the genetic instructions for the making of proteins in your body.
Expression – the process where information encoded in a gene is converted into the structures and functions of a cell.
Enzyme – a protein that speeds up a chemical reaction within a cell, without being changed or used up in the reaction.
Gene – a segment of a chromosome (or unit of DNA) that carries the instructions or code for making a specific protein or set of proteins responsible for, or contributing to, a specifi c physical trait or action.
Hepatic – anything relating to the liver.
Hepatitis – any inflammation of the liver is known as hepatitis, whether its cause is viral or not. A sudden inflammation of the liver is known as acute hepatitis. Where inflammation of the liver lasts longer than six months the condition is known as chronic hepatitis.
Hepatocyte – a liver cell.
Inferior vena cava – the large vein that carries blood back to the heart from the lower part of the body.
Inflammation – the fi rst response of the immune system to infection, commonly characterised by heat, swelling, pain and tenderness.
Metabolic – relating to the break down and processing of substances in your body for growth and vitality.
Mutation – an occurrence where a gene undergoes a change or variation in the base sequence of its DNA. Some mutations result in the gene no longer coding for the correct protein, or producing a reduced amount of the protein.
Nutrient – a substance required from our diet for growth and sustenance of life. Nutrients can be ‘organic’, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins and vitamins, or ‘inorganic’, such as iron.
Protein – the active molecule in cells that determine the physical structure of the organs and tissue that make up your body. Proteins also control the biological and chemical reactions within your body.
Varices – expanded and protruding (dilated) veins that run along the wall under the lining of the upper part of the stomach and lower end of the gullet. If they rupture or break they will bleed heavily (variceal bleeding).