#pathology lexicon

• Amyloid — An insoluble protein macromolecular aggregate with a pathological fibrillar structure folded into beta-sheets, which abnormally deposits in the intercellular spaces of various organs and tissues. Although its historical name suggests a resemblance to starch due to its specific staining reaction with iodine, amyloid is composed of conformationally altered proteins and is directly responsible for the onset and progression of amyloidosis and severe neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease.