Amino acid are the building blocks for proteins, which are important for biological processes.

Anaemic is when you have a low amount of red blood cells and haemoglobin in the blood, which leads to less oxygen for body tissues.

Aneurysm is an abnormal swelling or bulging in the wall of a blood vessel.

Antibodies are key for the immune response to infection by bacteria and viruses.

Ataxia is the loss of control of your bodies movement, affecting your co-ordination and balance.

Autoimmune is when your immune system attacks your own body tissues by mistake.

Autosomal dominant means that you only require one copy of the abnormal (mutated) gene from your parent to be affected and have the disease.

Autosomal recessive means you require two copies of the abnormal (mutated) gene from your parents to be affected and have the disease.

Benign is a growth that is not cancerous.

Carotid arteries are the arteries that supply blood to your head, brain and face.

Carrier is a person who has one copy of an abnormal (mutated) gene but does not have the disease.

Calcification is the build-up of calcium in body tissue, blood vessels or organs.

Chronic illness is a condition that lasts for a long time or occurs repeatedly over a period of time.

Cysts are fluid filled sacs that can form in the kidneys.

Diabetes is a chronic illness where you have high levels of glucose in the blood over a prolonged period.

Dysplasia is the abnormal growth and development in size, shape or organisation of cells.

E.coli bacteria is a type of bacteria commonly found in the intestines of people, and is usually harmless. However, some strains of E.coli can cause bloody diarhea, leading to anemia and kidney failure, while other strains can cause infections.

End Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) is when the kidneys no longer function well enough to meet their requirements for daily life.

Epilepsy is a condition where the nerve cell communication is disrupted in the brain, leading to seizures.

Gene is a small section of DNA that encodes for proteins, and is the basis of hereditary, being passed from parents to offspring.

Glomerulus (Glomeruli) refers to a tiny ball shaped structure in the kidney made up of capillaries involved in filtration of blood to form urine.

Gout is a form of arthritis leading to painful inflammation in a joint and is caused by a build up of uric acid in the bloodstream.

Hernia is where an organ pushes through the tissue or muscle that holds it in place.

High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) is when your blood pressure reading is 140/90 or higher over a number of weeks, and is known to increase your risk of stroke, heart attack and kidney failure.

Immunoglobulins are antibodies in the blood made by plasma cells that are used by the immune system to fight pathogens including bacteria and viruses.

Inflammation involves swelling, heat, pain and redness that occurs in response to injury or infection.

Inherited (Inheritance) is where genetic information is passed on from a parent to a child.

Ischaemia is the lack of blood flow to tissues, leading to lack of oxygen and glucose required for metabolism.

Ions are charged atoms or molecules. A cation is positively charged ion and an anion is a negatively charged ion.

Kidney stones are formed when excess of stone-forming substances (salt or minerals) in the urine stick together and form a stone.

Mutation is where there are changes in the genetic sequence or DNA, which sometimes can lead to changes in genes.

Necrosis is the death of cells or body tissues.

Nephron is the basic structural and functional unit of the kidney, consisting of a glomerulus and associated tubule, which remove waste from the body and produce urine.

Podocytes are specialised cells in the kidney that wrap around capillaries of the glomerulus.

Proximal tubules are part of the kidney and are where filtered water, sodium and chloride are reabsorbed.

Renal means relating to the kidneys.

Renal arteries supply the kidney with blood.

Sensorineural deafness is where there is damage to the inner ear cochlea or hearing nerve.

Tubulopathy is a disease affecting the renal tubules of the nephron in the kidney.

Ureter is the duct where urine passes from the kidney to the bladder.