Gluten is responsible for the elasticity in dough or baked goods.(a binder) It is what I call the glue that binds everything together. For those of us who are true Celiac it is considered poison because it attacks the lining of the small intestines (causing inflammation in the lining) which prevents the vitamins and minerals from the food you eat from being absorbed into the body. Which in turn causes a number of problems. It is also a hereditary disease. A good magazine to get is "living Without" it has a lot of good articles about celiac as well as other allergies.
Hope this helps.