amyloid
アミロイド
解説 Definition
amyloid は、体内に異常にたまることがあるたんぱく質性の物質「アミロイド」を指します。日本語の「アミロイド」とほぼ同じですが、英語では医学や生物学の文脈で使われる専門語です。
Amyloid is an abnormal protein-based material that can accumulate in tissues and organs, sometimes forming deposits associated with disease. The term is used mainly in medicine and biology, including research on deposits in brain tissue and other parts of the body.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
amyloid は amyl-「デンプン」系の要素と -oid「〜のような」からできた医学語です。実際には主に異常に沈着するたんぱく質性物質を指します。amyloid deposits「アミロイド沈着」や amyloid builds up「蓄積する」を一まとまりで覚え、酵素 amylase と語頭を関連付けます。
Break amyloid into amyl-, associated with starch, and -oid, meaning “resembling” or “like.” The name reflects an early resemblance observed in chemical testing, even though amyloid deposits are primarily protein-based rather than starch. Remember it through medical collocations: amyloid deposits, amyloid buildup, amyloid in brain tissue, and amyloid-related disease. The beginning amyl- also appears in amylase, an enzyme that breaks down starch. This shared element makes the spelling easier to retain without confusing the modern biological substance with starch itself.
例文
The study focused on amyloid in brain tissue.
その研究は脳組織内のアミロイドに焦点を当てていました。
Doctors found amyloid deposits in the sample.
医師たちはその検体にアミロイドの沈着を見つけました。
Researchers are studying how amyloid builds up in certain diseases.
研究者たちは、特定の病気でアミロイドがどのように蓄積するのかを調べています。
amyloid の類義語・関連語
amyloid の語源・成り立ち Etymology
ギリシャ語のamylon（デンプン）に接尾辞-oid（〜のような）を組み合わせた造語です。ヨウ素でデンプンと似た呈色反応を示すため、本来はタンパク質ながら「デンプン様物質」と命名されました。同じ語根を持つ単語にデンプン分解酵素の「amylase」があります。
Amyloid was formed from Greek amylon, meaning “starch,” together with the suffix -oid, meaning “resembling” or “having the form of.” Scientists adopted the term because the material showed a staining reaction thought to resemble that of starch. Later research established that amyloid deposits are largely composed of misfolded proteins. The older name remained in medical and biological use despite that revised understanding of their composition.
同じレベルの英単語をもっと
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