Mirror neurons: a definition. Description: Professor Christian Keysers explains that mirror neurons in the premotor cortex respond when we perform an action and also when we see someone else perform that action. This is similar to empathy. Transcript: Mirror neurons are a set of neurons that we discovered in the premotor cortex of the monkey.
lectin. [ 1 lekâ²tin] 2  a protein in seeds and other parts of certain plants that binds with glycoproteins and glycolipids on the surface of animal cells, causing agglutination. Some lectins agglutinate erythrocytes in specific blood groups, and others stimulate the production of T lymphocytes.
Lectins are thought to have evolved as a natural defense in plants, essentially as a toxin that deters animals from eating the plants . Lectins are found in many different plant- and animal-based foods, yet only about 30% of the foods you eat contain significant amounts . Humans are unable to digest lectins, so they travel through your gut unchanged.