Antioxidants  Stable molecules that fight or "catch" free radicals. They freely share their electrons and stop the harmful chain reaction of free radicals.

Biomarker  In general, a detectable cellular or molecular substance used as an indicator of a biologic state or response, or a particular disease of an organism.

Carcinogen   A substance that can cause or aggravate cancer. Known carcinogens are those substances for which the evidence from human studies indicates that there is a casual relationship between the exposure to the substance and human cancer.

Carcinoma  Any malignant cancer that arises from epithelial cells. Carcinomas invade surrounding tissues or organs, and may spread to lymph nodes and other sites.

Carotenoids  A major family of antioxidants. They create a strong antioxidants network to prevent other antioxidants (such as Vitamin C & E) from getting hit by free radicals.

Chromosome  A long DNA structures organized within cells. Humans have 46 chromosomes. One set of 23 is inherited from each parent.

Cytotoxicity  The quality of being toxic to cells; toxic and destructive effect on living cells.

DNA     Abbreviation for deoxyribonucleic acid. DNA is composed of very long strings of nucleotide monomers and is the storage form of our genetic material. DNA has two strands wrapped around each other in a double helix structure, and these strands are held in place by four chemicals called bases: adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C) and thymine (T). Within cells, DNA is arranged into long structures called chromosomes.

DNA replication  A fundamental process occurring in all living organisms to copy their DNA, the basis for biological inheritance. During the process, the double helix is unwound and each strand acts as a template. Bases are matched to synthesize the new partner strands. Therefore, following DNA replication, two identical DNA molecules have been produced from a single double-stranded DNA molecule.

Free radicals  Highly reactive, unstable, and short-lived molecules that steal or "scavenge" electrons from other molecules. They damage cells and DNA.

Gene  The basic unit of heredity or a segment of DNA in a living organism. Genes hold the information to build and maintain the cells, and pass genetic traits to offspring.

Germline mutation  A gene change in a body's reproductive cell (egg or sperm) that becomes incorporated into the DNA of every cell in the body of the offspring. Germline mutations are passed on from parents to offspring. Also called hereditary mutation.

Grades
There are basically three different grades of raw materials used in products:
1. Pharmaceutical Grade meets pharmaceutical standards
2. Food Grade meets standards set for human consumption
3. Feed Grade meets standards set for animal consumption
The difference between each grade type is quality and purity, with pharmaceutical grade being the purest.

Genome  The full set of genes in an organism. Humans have an estimated 30,000 genes in their genome.

Metastasis  The process by which cancer cells migrate throughout the body.

Mutagen   An agent that generates changes in DNA, sometimes by reacting with the DNA building blocks-guanine, adenine, thymine, and cytosine-leading to the damage of DNA.

Mutation  Any change to the nucleotide sequence of the DNA (genetic material) of an organism. Mutations can be caused by copy errors in the genetic material during cell division, by exposure to ultraviolet or radiation, chemical mutagens or carcinogens, or viruses, and by some cellular processes with the organism itself.

Oncogene  An altered form of gene that normally is involved in stimulating cell growth and division, contracting with "tumor suppressor gene".

Pharmaceutical Grade  See grades

Polyp  A growth on the surface of the colon (i.e. the large intestine). Colon polyps can be raised or flat. Although some colon polyps are harmless, some can become cancerous over time.

Proto-oncogene  A gene that has the potential functions to promote cell division. When these genes are mutated, they produce products that drive cell growth and division in an abnormal fashion.

Tumor suppressor gene  A gene that functions to limit cell division. In other words, a tumor suppressor gene protects a cell from the path to cancer, which differs from an oncogene.