amylo-, amyl-

1. Etymologically, a root word derived from the Latin amylum, from Greek αμυλον, meaning "starch". It has two distinct but related meanings, in organic chemistry (radical called pentyl, a five-carbon alkyl substituent) and biochemistry (pertaining to starch).
2. The univalent radical, C₅H₁₁, occurring in many organic compounds in eight isomeric forms.

Concerning starch, or of the nature of starch; starchy: Dr. Black told Jane that she should avoid amylaceous foods in order to cure her ailment.

The inability to digest starchy foods: "As a child, Irene had to follow a strict diet because of the doctor told her that she had amylodyspepsia; fortunately, when she was older there were diet supplements to aid in the digestion of starch in her foods."

1. A starchlike substance; characterized by starchlike staining properties.
2. In pathology, a hard waxy deposit consisting of protein and polysaccharides that results from the degeneration of tissue.
3. A homogenous, waxy substance composed of protein and polysaccharides that is found deposited in tissues by certain diseases.
4. A nonnitrogenous food substance consisting chiefly of starch; any substance resembling starch.

1. A disorder marked by the deposition of amyloid in various organs and tissues of the body. It may be associated with a chronic disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, tuberculosis, or multiple myeloma.
2. A group of conditions of diverse etiologies characterized by the accumulation of insoluble fibrillar proteins (amyloid) in various organs and tissues of the body such that vital function is compromised.
3. A condition marked by the accumulation of a protein-based substance amyloid in the body's organs and tissues.