CARTA Glossary

Organic compounds that are the building blocks of proteins and participate in a number of processes such as neurotransmitter transport and biosynthesis. Amino acids are encoded by the genome as different three nucleotide codes.

A condition in which proteins form amyloids and build up in organs and tissues throughout the body. The amyloids are resistant to bread down and removal, and instead accumulate and interfere with normal function.

The proposed geologic epoch defined by human influence on the Earth. There is yet to be consensus for when the anthropocene began with suggestions ranging from the start of the agricultural revolution to the first atomic explosion.

A variant of the apolipoprotein E (ApoE) gene that significantly increases the risk of developing late-onset Alzheimer’s disease, and it’s the most common genetic risk factor for sporadic Alzheimer’s.

A form of preprogrammed cell death by which cells self-destruct when no longer needed or are damaged beyond repair. Apoptosis does not trigger an immune response.

A type of prokaryotic microorganism. Unlike eukaryotes, bacterial cells do not contain a nucleus and rarely harbour membrane-bound organelles. Bacteria were among the first life forms to evolve on Earth, and can be found in most every habitat, including soil, water, acidic hot springs, radioactive waste, the deep biosphere of the earth’s crust, and in and on other living organisms as symbionts and parasites. Bacteria can be beneficial, such as those comprising the gut flora, or pathogenic and cause infectious disease. However, the vast majority of the bacteria in the body are rendered harmless by the protective effects of the immune system.

The ability to walk upright on two legs, involving adaptations in the skeletal and muscular systems to support and propel the body using only the lower limbs.

The process of feeding an infant with milk from a mother’s breast.

A class of organic compounds composed of two or more fused aromatic rings, some of which are known to be carcinogenic and are formed during incomplete combustion of organic materials.

A type of tough, fibrous, elastic connective tissue that is rich in polysaccharides and with no nerve or blood supply of its own.

A broad and loose category of small proteins secreted by certain cells of the immune system and are important in cell signaling and have an effect on other cells.

The specific order of the nucleotide bases along a strand of DNA.

The early stage of development for a multicellular organism.

The innermost lining layer of the uterus. Synonymous with endometrium.

The innermost lining layer of the uterus. Synonymous with endometrial tissue.

A type of tissue composed of tightly packed cells that line the surfaces of the body and its internal organs. It serves as a protective barrier, and in some cases, it also performs functions like absorption, secretion, and sensation.

A situation where an organism’s evolved traits, once advantageous, become maladaptive due to rapid environmental changes, leading to potential health problems or challenges in modern life.

Searching for wild food or provisions as opposed to cultivating food crops or breeding livestock.

The process by which the information contained within a gene (nucleotide sequence) is used to direct RNA and/or protein synthesis and dictate cell function. Nearly all of the cells in the body contain identical genes, but only a subset of this information is used or expressed at any time. The genes expressed in a cell determine what that cell can do.

The totality of DNA in a cell. Also refers to the DNA sequence that typifies an individual or species.

A type of covalent bond that joins a carbohydrate to another molecule, which may be another carbohydrate or a different type of molecule.

The ecosystem of microbes that live in the intestines.

A living organism on or in which a parasite, pathogen, commensal or symbiont lives (see Parasitism).

A medical condition in females characterized by excess levels of androgens, male sex hormones, such as testosterone.

The capability of multicellular organisms to resist harmful microorganisms from entering it and compromising its biological systems. The balanced state of adequate biological defenses to fight infection, disease, or other unwanted biological invasion, while having adequate tolerance to avoid allergy, and autoimmune diseases. It critically relies on recognition of both self and non-self.

The capability of producing infection or spreading disease to others. Synonymous with communicable and transmissible.

Conditions that involve a prolonged or excessive immune response, leading to inflammation in the body.

The process of producing and secreting milk from the mammary glands.

The regular discharge of blood and mucosal tissue from the inner lining of the uterus through the vagina.

The conversion of food into energy and the chemical building blocks for proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, and glycans as well as the elimination of metabolic wastes.

The scientific study of the set of metabolites present within an organism, cell, or tissue.

A group of two or more atoms covalently bonded together to form the smallest fundamental unit of a chemical compound that can take part in a chemical reaction.

The condition of being composed of more than one cell, with cells that are specialized and cooperate to perform different functions within an organism.

A protein (transcription factor) that acts as a master regulator of cellular responses against oxidative stress, regulating genes involved in antioxidant defense, detoxification, and other processes.

Molecular building blocks for DNA and RNA Specifically, they consist of three components: a 5-carbon sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. The type of sugar, either deoxyribose or ribose, determines if the resulting nucleic acid is DNA or RNA.

A specific stage or period within an organism’s developmental history, encompassing changes in its phenotype (physical characteristics) and behavior from fertilization to adulthood, influenced by genes, environment, and maternal effects.

An organism that lives on or in a host organism at the expense of the host.

A bacterium, virus, or other microorganism that can cause disease.

A covalent chemical bond that forms between two amino acids, linking them together in a peptide or protein chain. It occurs when the carboxyl group (-COOH) of one amino acid reacts with the amino group (-NH2) of another amino acid, releasing a molecule of water (a process called dehydration or condensation).

A flattened circular organ, primarily of fetal origin, in the uterus of pregnant eutherian mammals, nourishing and maintaining the fetus through the umbilical cord.

Ovaries that contain a large number of small, fluid-filled sacs called follicles, or cysts, just under the surface. These cysts are usually immature follicles that failed to develop properly during the menstrual cycle and did not release an egg (ovulate).

A large, complex carbohydrate made up of many monosaccharides (simple sugars) linked together by glycosidic bonds.

A steroid and sex hormone involved in the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and embryogenesis of invertebrates and mammals.

One of the four classes of major biomolecules. Proteins are molecules encoded by DNA sequences and composed of amino acids connected by peptide bonds. These range in size from a few amino acids (short peptides) to large molecules (long polypeptides) comprised of thousands of amino acids.

A medical condition in which menstrual blood flows backward through the fallopian tubes and into the pelvic cavity instead of leaving the body through the vagina. This backward flow can carry endometrial cells into the abdominal cavity, where they can implant and grow.

The linear order of the nucleotide building blocks, which encodes individual form and function.

A process that occurs in the endometrium in the absence of pregnancy.

A close and long-term biological interaction between two different biological organisms, be it mutualistic, commensalistic, or parasitic.

Proteins that initiate and regulate the transcription of genes. Transcription factors bind to specific sequences of DNA called regulatory elements, or other proteins that do so, and directly or indirectly affect the initiation of transcription. The activities of transcription factors determine where and when genes are expressed.