Languages:
The process of taking in. For a
person or an animal, absorption is the process of a substance getting into the
body through the eyes, skin, stomach, intestines, or lungs.
(Source:
ATSDR
Glossary of Terms
Adeno- is a prefix which means “gland”. Adenocarcinoma is a cancerous tumor that starts in cells with gland-like properties (i.e. they have a secretory function) that line some internal organs. The majority of all breast, colon, and prostrate cancers are adenocarcinomas. Human pancreatic adenocarcinoma is the most lethal of all common cancers. (Source: GreenFacts)
An amino acid molecule has the general formula NH2CHRCOOH, where "R" is any one of a number of side groups. Amino acids are building blocks (small molecules that link together to form long chains) of proteins.
There are 20 amino acids found in proteins, called primary amino acids. Non-essential amino acids are those made by the human body, while essential amino acids are only obtained from protein in the foods that we eat. (Source: GreenFacts)
A defficiency of red blood cells in the bloodstream, resulting in insufficient oxygen being carried to tissues and organs.
Symptoms of anemia include feeling tired, weak, and short of breath. (Source: GreenFacts)
A protein produced by the body's immune system that recognizes and helps fight
infections and other foreign substances in the body.
(Source: Gift of a Lifetime
Glossary
Autoimmunity happens when the body fails to recognise some of its own tissues or cells and attacks them as if they were foreign.
Diseases arising from this abnormal immune response are called autoimmune diseases.
Examples of autoimmune diseases include type 1 diabetes and lupus. (Source: GreenFacts)
The dense, living tissue that makes up the skeleton of humans and vertebrate animals.
Mature bones are made up of three types of tissue: compact tissue (the hard outer portion of most bones); cancellous tissue (spongy tissue inside the bones that contains bone marrow, which makes blood cells); and subchondral tissue (smooth bone tissue of the joints).
Cancellous tissue, also known as cancellous bone, spongy bone or trabecular bone, is characterized by its spongy, porous, honeycomb-like structure and is typically found at the ends of long bones. Compact tissue is also known as hard bone, compact bone or compact cortical bone. (Source: GreenFacts)
Any one of a group of diseases that occur when cells in the body become abnormal and have the potential to spread and establish growth in nearby tissues and other parts of the body (malignancy). (Source: GreenFacts )
One of the threadlike "packages" of genes and other
DNA in the nucleus of a
cell. Different kinds of organisms have
different numbers of chromosomes. Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes, 46 in
all: 44 autosomes and two sex chromosomes. Each parent contributes one
chromosome to each pair, so children get half of their chromosomes from their
mothers and half from their fathers.
(Source:
NHGRI
Talking Glossary of Genetic
Terms
The digestive tract is the system of organs which takes in food, digests it to extract energy and nutrients and expels remaining waste. It includes the mouth, salivary glands, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, liver, gallbladder, small intestine, large intestine, and rectum.
After food is chewed and swallowed, the digestive juices released by the pancreas and stomach break it down into substances that are readily absorbed through the small intestine. Material that is not taken up by the body collects in the large intestine, forming faecal matter that is then excreted through the anus. (Source: GreenFacts)
The functional and physical unit of heredity passed from parent to offspring.
Genes are pieces of DNA, and most genes contain the information for making a
specific protein.
(Source:
NHGRI
Talking Glossary of Genetic
Terms
The immune system is a network of cells, tissues, and organs that work
together to defend the body against attacks by “foreign” invaders.
(Source:
NIAID
Immune System
Inflammation is the reaction of living tissues to infection, irritation or other injury. (Source: GreenFacts)
The act of swallowing something through eating, drinking, or mouthing objects.
A hazardous substance can enter the body this way.
(Source:
ATSDR
Glossary of Terms
Cancer that begins in cells of the immune system (the lymphatic system).
The most common type of lymphoma is called Hodgkin's lymphoma or Hodgkin's disease.
All other lymphomas are grouped together under the term non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. (Source: GreenFacts)
Death. Usually the cause (a specific disease, a condition, or an injury) is
stated.
(Source:
ATSDR
Glossary of Terms
A measure of frequency of occurrence of death in a defined population during
a specified interval of time.
(Source:
CDC
Reproductive Health Glossary
Effects to nervous system especially regarding structure, functions, and abnormalities. (Source: GreenFacts)
Disease characterized by low bone mass and deterioration of bone tissue, which leads to fragile bones and a greater risk of fracture, particularly in older people. (Source: GreenFacts Digest on Diet and Nutrition)
A weight to weight ratio used to describe concentrations. Parts per million (ppm) is the number of units of mass of a contaminant per million units of total mass. (Source: GreenFacts)
Study of the biological, chemical and physical activities and processes that underlie the functioning of living organisms (cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems) and their parts. (Source: GreenFacts)
A large molecule composed of one or more chains of amino acids in a specific order, formed according to genetic information.
A scientifically based process consisting of four steps:
The likelihood of producing a significantly larger-than-average response to a specified exposure to a substance.
The Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP) is an advisory body, established in 1969, that advises the United Nations (UN) system on the scientific aspects of marine environmental protection.
At present GESAMP is jointly sponsored by nine UN organizations with responsibilities relating to the marine environment, and they utilize GESAMP as a mechanism for coordination and collaboration among them. GESAMP functions are to conduct and support marine environmental assessments, to undertake in-depth studies, analyses, and reviews of specific topics, and to identify emerging issues regarding the state of the marine environment. GESAMP itself today consists of 16 experts, drawn from a wide range of relevant disciplines, who act in an independent and individual capacity. Studies and assessments are usually carried out by dedicated working groups, most of whose members are not sitting members of GESAMP but part of the broader GESAMP network.
GESAMP's UN sponsors: IMO, FAO, UNESCO-IOC, WMO, IAEA, UN, UNEP, UNIDO, UNDP.GESAMP
Source:
(Source:
www.gesamp.org/about
A TDI is an estimate of the amount of a substance in air, food or drinking water that can be taken in daily over a lifetime without appreciable health risk. TDIs are calculated on the basis of laboratory toxicity data to which uncertainty factors are applied.
TDIs are used for substances that do not have a reason to be found in food (as opposed to substances that do, such as additives, pesticide residues or veterinary drugs in foods- see ADI). (Source: GreenFacts)
The study of the harmful effects of substances on humans or animals.
(Source:
ATSDR
Glossary of Terms
A toxicant produced by a living organism. (Source: IPCS )
A number (equal or greater than 1) used to divide NOAEL or LOAEL values derived from measurements in animals or small groups of humans, in order to estimate a NOAEL or LOAEL value for the whole human population; also called margin-of-safety. (Source: IPCS )
"The FDA is responsible for protecting the public health by
assuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs,
biological products, medical devices, our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, and
products that emit radiation. The FDA is also responsible for advancing the
public health by helping to speed innovations that make medicines and foods more
effective, safer, and more affordable; and helping the public get the accurate,
science-based information they need to use medicines and foods to improve their
health."
(Source:
US FDA website
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