amyloid

[am-uh-loid]

noun

1. Biochemistry.,  a waxy, translucent substance, composed primarily of protein fibers, that is deposited in various organs of animals in certain diseases.

2. a nonnitrogenous food consisting especially of starch.

adjective

1. Also amyloidal of, resembling, or containing amylum.

amyloid

/ ˈæmɪˌlɔɪd /

noun

1. pathol a complex protein resembling starch, deposited in tissues in some degenerative diseases

2. any substance resembling starch

adjective

1. starchlike

amyloid

1. A hard waxy substance consisting of protein and polysaccharides that results from the degeneration of tissue and is deposited in organs or tissues of the body in various chronic diseases.

1. Starchlike.

Word History and Origins

Origin of amyloid¹

First recorded in 1855–60; amyl- + -oid

Example Sentences

They then compared these samples with brain tissue from mice genetically engineered to develop Alzheimer's-like amyloid buildup.

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Through a series of experiments, the researchers traced the connection to a familiar culprit: amyloid beta, the protein known for forming harmful plaques in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.

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At roughly the same time, the FDA had been greenlighting medications that target amyloid beta.

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Alzheimer's disease pathology was measured using PET scans with tracers that bind to amyloid plaques and tau tangles that accumulate in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease.

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"The amyloid beta affects muscles and paralyzes the worms," says Sidharth Madhavan, a PhD candidate and lead author on the study.

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