Crohn’s & Colitis Glossary
Absorption
Your body’s process of taking nutrients from the digestive system into the blood so they can be used elsewhere in the body.
Antibodies
Cells that fight infections or other substances in your blood/body.
Anus
The very last part of the large intestine where the rectum ends.
Colon
The large bowel or large intestine.
Cytokine
A type of protein that is made by certain immune and non-immune cells and has an effect on the immune system.
Digestion
The process of breaking down food into nutrients that can be used by the body.
Dysbiosis
An imbalance in the types of gut bacteria present in the body.
Esophagus
A tube inside the body that connects the mouth to the stomach.
Gastrointestinal (GI) tract
This includes all parts of the body that digest food, including the mouth, throat, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, and anus.
Genes
These are basic units of inheritance that carry the information that determines your features or characteristics. They are passed on to you from your parents.