Glossary

Antibodies - (Anti-bodies)
A type of protein made by certain white blood cells in the body in response to a foreign substance (antigen). Some antibodies destroy antigens directly. Others make it easier for white blood cells to destroy the antigen. Auto Immune - (au-to-im-mune)
A state in which the immune system of the body mistakenly attacks the body’s own cells Chronic - (chron-ic )
Being long-lasting and recurrent in nature; characterized by long standing suffering De-pigmentation - (de-pig-men-ta-tion )
Absence or loss of pigmentation Genetic - (ge-net-ic)
Occurring amongst members of a family - usually by heredity; related to genes Ginkgo biloba - (gink-go bi-lo-ba)
A Chinese tree which exists almost exclusively in cultivation especially as an ornamental tree; one of the popular traditional Chinese medicinal herbs Hereditary - (he-red-i-tary )
Occurring amongst members of a family Immune system - (im-mune system)
The body system, made up of many organs and cells, which defends the body against infection, disease and foreign substances Melanin - (mel-a-nin)
A pigment that imparts color to hair and skin Melanocyte - (me-la-no-cyte )
Cells found in the deeper layer of the skin - they produce the pigment melanin Pernicious Anemia - (per-ni-cious ane-mia )
A chronic progressive anemia of older adults - considered to result from a lack of intrinsic factor (a substance secreted by the stomach that is responsible for the absorption of vitamin B12) Phototherapy - (pho-to-ther-a-py )
Treatment using a form of light; therapeutic usage of light especially for skin diseases Pigment - (pig-ment )
A substance whose presence produces a characteristic color Re-pigment - (re-pig-ment )
Renewed pigmentation; appearance of the color where it was lost earlier Wood's lamp - (wood's lamp)
A device that emits ultraviolet (UV) light and is commonly used by dermatologists to assist in the diagnosis of various skin diseases