Clinical molecular medicine, and its synonymous forms of medicine, integrates environmental medicine (a field of medicine which, studies the affects of the environment on human illness) applied immunology (a study of immune system function), toxicology (looking at the toxins that may have caused illness), and clinical nutritional biochemistry (which looks at what chemical processes may be inefficient in cell function). The word "molecular" refers to the basic processes inside the cells that are not functioning properly. Molecular methodologies may be used to treat chronic diseases or to prevent disease or dysfunction of the body.