| A |
|---|
| Alimentary canal | The large muscular tube from the mouth to the anus approx 8.3 metres long where food is digested |
| Antibiotics | Chemicals that kill bacteria and are used to treat infectious diseases |
| B |
|---|
| Bacteria | Very small microorganisms which live in us and all around us. Some are good for us but others can make us sick |
| Bacterium | The singular form of bacteria |
| Bifidobacterium | A good bacteria which lives in our large intestine and helps fight infection |
| Bowel | The small and large intestines where digestion of food is completed |
| Bowel movement | Passing of faeces/poo/stool - solid waste excreted by an animal |
| C |
|---|
| Cell | The basic structural and functional unit of all organisms. Cells may exist as independent units of life (e.g. bacteria) or may form colonies or tissues as in higher plants and animals (e.g. liver). |
| Cancer | (or malignancy). A disease of the body’s cells. Normally, our cells divide and multiply to help our body to grow and heal. Cancer cells, however, divide and grow abnormally and have the ability to invade or damage surrounding tissues. |
| Colon | The main part of the large intestine. |
| Colonscopy | A procedure where a long and flexible tubular instrument called a colonoscope is inserted into the patient's anus in order to view the lining of the colon and rectum. It is performed to test for colorectal cancer and other bowel diseases, and enables the doctor to collect tissue samples for laboratory analysis. |
| Commensal | Micro-organisms which live in close contact with the body without causing disease. Commensal micro-organisms may be good for one organism, but cause disease in another organism. |
| Conjugated linoleic acids | (CLA). Natural components of animal foods which have been shown to have health benefits including inhibiting growth of cancers, stimulating the immune system and improving the health of the gut. |
| Constipation | Diagnosed when bowel movements occur less than is normal or less than three times per week. In constipation, bowel motions may consist of small amounts of hard stool that are difficult to pass. Constipation may also be accompanied by feelings of bloatedness, abdominal pain and a swollen abdomen. |
| Crohn's disease | A chronic or long-term inflammatory disease of the intestine. It can occur anywhere between the mouth and the anus, but ulcerations usually occur in the small and large intestine. Common symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhoea and weight loss. |
| D |
|---|
| Diarrhoea | Occurs when there is unusually frequent or unusually liquid bowel movements. Persistent diarrhoea is both uncomfortable and damaging to health, especially in infants and the elderly. It may indicate an underlying infection. Some nutrients may not be absorbed by the body during diarrhoea and dehydration may also occur. |
| Dyspepsia | (or indigestion) .A general term covering a group of symptoms in the digestive tract including a feeling of fullness, bloating, nausea, heartburn, or gassy discomfort in the chest or abdomen. The symptoms develop during meals or shortly afterward. In most cases, indigestion is a minor problem that often clears up without professional treatment. |
| E |
|---|
| Eating disorders | These appear as disturbed eating patterns. Some common eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. Eating disorders are not just about food but can be an outward sign of deep psychological and emotional turmoil. |
| Endoscopy | An endoscope used for gastroenterology is a hollow, thin, flexible tube that uses a lens or miniature camera to view various areas of the gastrointestinal tract. The performance of an exam using an endoscope is referred to as endoscopy. Biopsies and therapeutic procedures can also be done using endoscopes. |
| F |
|---|
| Faeces | Solid waste excreted by an animal. Also called poo/stool. |
| Fever | A response to disease characterized by a rise in core body temperature and activation of the immune system. |
| Flatulence | Caused by excessive production of gas in the intestines. |
| Food poisoning | Usually caused by bacteria but some cases are caused by viruses, and symptoms include vomiting and diarrhoea. These symptoms are not only unpleasant but can sometimes be very serious and result in hospitalisation. In some instances the consequences of food poisoning can be life threatening. |
| Functional food | A food which has a beneficial ingredient added to it so that it has health-giving properties over and above its usual nutritional value for example milk with added calcium or vitamins, breakfast cereals or probiotic yoghurts. |
| G |
|---|
| Gastroenteritis | An inflammation of the stomach and intestine. The symptoms include nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhoea. Infectious organisms, food poisoning or stress can cause gastroenteritis. |
| Gastrointestinal tract | The long muscular tube from the mouth to the anus approximately 8.3 metres long. Food is ingested in the mouth and is digested mechanically and with the help of enzymes as it passes along the alimentary canal. Nutrients are absorbed by the body and waste is excreted through the anus as faeces approximately 24 hours after a meal is consumed. |
| Genomics | The study of the molecular organization of genomes, their information content, and the gene products they encode. |
| Gland | A group of special cells that make substances so that other parts of the body can work. For example, the pancreas is a gland that releases insulin so that other body cells can use glucose (sugar) for energy. |
| H |
|---|
| Haemorrhoids | (or piles). occur when the veins around the anal opening become abnormally enlarged or dilated. Symptoms include bleeding, mucous or faecal soiling of undergarments, itching and occasional pain. |
| Hepatitis | Inflammation of the liver which may be caused by a virus e.g. hepatitis A, hepatits B. |
| Hernia | A hiatal hernia occurs when the upper part of the stomach is above the diaphragm, the muscle wall that separates the stomach from the chest. The diaphragm helps prevent acid from coming up into the oesophagus. When a hiatal hernia is present, it is easier for the acid to come up and cause acid reflux. A hiatal hernia can happen in people of any age; many otherwise healthy people over 50 have a small one. |
| I |
|---|
| Immune system | The body’s defensive system which recognises foreign substances and microorganisms and acts to neutralis or destroy them. It is composed of widely distributed cells, tissues, and organs. |
| Immunity | Refers to the overall general ability of the body to resist a particular disease; the condition of being immune. |
| Indigestion | (or dyspepsia), is a general term covering a group of symptoms in the digestive tract including a feeling of fullness, bloating, nausea, heartburn, or gassy discomfort in the chest or abdomen. The symptoms develop during meals or shortly afterward. In most cases, indigestion is a minor problem that often clears up without professional treatment. |
| Infection | An invasion of the body by a micro-organism with subsequent establishment and multiplication of the micro-organism. |
| Inflammation | A localized protective response to tissue injury or destruction. Acute inflammation is characterized by pain, heat, swelling, and redness in the injured area. |
| Irritable bowel syndrome | (IBS). One of the most common ailments of the intestine affecting approximately 15% of the population. The symptoms include nausea, vomiting, abdominal bloating, diarrhoea and constipation. |
| J |
|---|
| Jaundice | Jaundice is when there is a yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes because of release of pigments from the liver into the blood. |
| L |
|---|
| Lactic acid bacteria | A large group of beneficial bacteria that have similar properties and all produce lactic acid as an end product of the fermentation process. They are widespread in nature and are also found in our digestive systems. Lactic acid bacteria have been used to ferment foods for at least 4000 years e.g. yoghurt, cheese... They may also be responsible for food spoilage. |
| Lactose intolerance | Caused when your intestines lack a certain enzyme, called lactase, needed to digest lactose, the sugar in milk and other dairy products. Within 30 minutes to two hours of eating these foods, you may suffer cramps, gas, bloating, and diarrhoea. Lactase tablets and drops can be used to treat the symptoms. |
| Laxative | A substance which stimulates evacuation of the bowels. |
| M |
|---|
| Microbe | Another word for a microorganism, which is an organism that is too small to be seen clearly with the naked eye . It includes bacteria, viruses and fungi. |
| Microbiology | The study of organisms that are usually too small to be seen with the naked eye. Special techniques are required to isolate and grow them. |
| Micro-organism | An organism that is too small to be seen clearly with the naked eye . It includes bacteria, viruses and fungi. |
| N |
|---|
| Nausea | The sensation of being about to vomit. Vomiting, or emesis, is the expelling of undigested food through the mouth. Nausea may be caused by overeating, infection, or irritation of the throat or stomach lining. |
| Nutraceutical | A pill or capsule that contains the essence of disease-fighting foods e.g. broccoli extract in the form of a pill taken instead of eating the green vegetable. |
| O |
|---|
| Obesity | An abnormal accumulation of body fat, usually 20% or more over an individual’s ideal body weight. Obesity is associated with increased risk of illness, disability, and death. |
| P |
|---|
| Pathogen | Any virus, bacterium, or other agent that causes disease. |
| Peptic ulcer | A hole in the lining of the stomach, duodenum or oesophagus. The most common cause of peptic ulcers is the bacterium Helicobacter pylori which causes inflammation in the inner lining of the stomach. One out of every six patients with H. pylori infection will develop an ulcer. Ulcers often come and go spontaneously and the patient may be unaware unless serious complications like bleeding or perforation occur. |
| Peristalsis | The wavelike muscular contraction in the intestines which pushes food along during the process of digestion. |
| Peritonitis | An inflammation of the peritoneum which is the membrane which lines the inside of the abdomen and all of the internal organs. It is most often due to infection by bacteria, but may also be due to some kind of a chemical irritant such as spillage of acid from the stomach, bile from the gall bladder and biliary tract, or enzymes from the pancreas. |
| Polyps | Benign tumours of the large intestine. Polyps do not invade or spread to other tissues. They are usually removed during colonoscopy and are not life threatening. |
| Prebiotic | Nutrients often added to food that favour the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut over that of harmful ones. |
| Probiotic | Bacteria, generally lactobacilli or bifidobacteria, which when eaten have been shown to have beneficial health effects beyond the nutrients they contain. |
| S |
|---|
| Stress | An organism’s total response to environmental demands or pressures and includes any event hat a person considers a threat. The symptoms of stress can be either physical and psychological. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is regarded as a stress-related physical illness. |
| T |
|---|
| Tumour | An abnormal growth of tissue. It may be localised (benign) or invade nearby tissues (malignant) or distant tissues (metastatic). |
| U |
|---|
| Ulcerative colitis | A chronic or long-term inflammation of the large intestine. Symptoms vary with the severity of the disease and may include abdominal pain, rectal bleeding and diarrhoea. |
| V |
|---|
| Vaccine | A preparation of either killed microorganisms; living, weakened (attenuated) microorganisms; or inactivated bacterial toxins (toxoids). It is administered to induce development of the immune response and protect the individual against a pathogen or a toxin. |
| Virus | An infectious agent with a simple structure consisting of DNA or RNA and reproducing only within living host cells. |
| Vitamins | Organic components in food that are needed in very small amounts for growth and for maintaining good health. The vitamins include vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin A, and vitamin K, or the fat-soluble vitamins, and folate (folic acid), vitamin B12, biotin, vitamin B6, niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, and vitamin C (ascorbic acid), or the water-soluble vitamins. Vitamins are required in the diet in only tiny amounts, in contrast to the energy components of the diet such as sugars, starches, fats, and oils. |
| Vomiting | (or emesis). The expelling of undigested food through the mouth. |
| Y |
|---|
| Yoghurt | (or yogurt). A custard-like food made from fermented milk. |
