amino acids – amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. DNA codes for amino acids. Three nucleotides (segments of the genetic code) make one amino acid. Amino acids are critical to life, and have many functions in the way your body works.
Glossary
Selected words and phrases
Minimum Effective Concentration (MEC) – the lower level of a drug in the body that will still be effective.
IM (intra-muscular) – injecting into a muscle. See IV (intravenous) and SC (sub-cutaneous).
toxicity – medical word for side effect, the potential harm a drug can cause.
late breaker – in research, this is a study presented at a medical meeting that was submitted to the conference organisers after the main programme had been decided. There are usually only a few dozen late-breakers, where the last minute results are thought important enough to include – like ‘late-breaking news’. Although this studies often contain the most exciting news, they are given much less time to present their results – maybe less than 10 minutes compared to a normal 15 or 20 minute session. These summary results are also difficult to verify because they include fewer slides and fewer details.