Alzheimer's Disease

In Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease
A neurological disease that affects memory and behaviour. It is characterized by beta-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. There is no known cause but genetics and lifestyle are thought to play a role., brain cells responsible for processing, storing and receiving information become damaged and die. Beta-amyloid Beta-amyloid
See amyloid is suspected to play a part in this destruction. The "amyloid hypothesis" states that problems with increased levels of beta-amyloid cause Alzheimer's disease. Special molecules called proteins cut a large protein called Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP APP
A protein found in the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, spleen, and intestines. The normal function of APP in the body is unknown. In Alzheimer’s disease, APP is abnormally processed and converted to beta amyloid protein.) into smaller sections, one of these being beta-amyloid. Beta-amyloid is stickier than other fragments causing it to clump together into amyloid plaques. These plaques disrupt neurons by interfering with communication between them, and the cells eventually die.