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General Medicine Terms

- D -

  • DDS

  • Doctor of Dental Surgery.

  • Debridement

  • The surgical removal of foreign material and/or dead, damaged, or infected tissue from a wound or burn.

  • Decibel

  • Unit that measures the intensity or loudness of sound.

  • Deciduous teeth

  • Also known as 'baby' or primary teeth.

  • Defecation

  • Passage of bowel contents through the rectum and anus.

  • Defecography

  • X-ray of the anus and rectum to see how the muscles work to move stool.

  • Defibrillator

  • An electronic device used to establish normal heartbeat.

  • Delayed gastric emptying

  • Gastroparesis.

  • Deletion

  • The loss of a segment of the genetic material from a chromosome.

  • Deletion mapping

  • The use of overlapping deletions to localize the position of an unknown gene on a chromosome or linkage map.

  • Delusional Disorders

  • A psychiatric disorder characterized by states of heightened self-awareness and a tendency toward paranoia.

  • Delusions

  • A condition in which the patient has lost touch with reality and experiences hallucinations and misperceptions.

  • Dementias

  • A physically caused permanent or progressive decline in intellectual function that interferes with the patient's normal social or economic activity.

  • Dendrite

  • A thread-like extension from a nerve cell that serves as an antenna to receive messages from the axons of other nerve cells.

  • Dental amalgams (SILVER FILLINGS)

  • A mixture of mercury (45 to 50 percent) and an alloy of silver, tin, and copper (50 to 55 percent) used to repair decayed teeth.

  • Dental fluorosis

  • A condition that results from drinking overly fluoridated water that often causes the teeth to become discolored and the enamel of the teeth to look spotted, pitted, or stained.

  • Dental implants

  • Small dental appliances that are inserted into the upper and lower jaws to help restore a mouth that has little or no non-restorable teeth.

  • Dental pulp

  • The soft tissue around the tooth that contains nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissue.

  • Dental sealant

  • A thin, plastic film that is painted on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth - the molars and premolars - to prevent tooth decay.

  • Depression

  • A neurotic or psychotic condition marked by an inability to concentrate, insomnia, and feelings of dejection and guilt.

  • Depth perception

  • The ability to distinguish objects in a visual field.

  • Dermatopathology

  • The study of the skin in diagnosing skin diseases.

  • Descending colon

  • The middle part of the colon located on the left side of the abdomen.

  • Diabetes Mellitus

  • A metabolic disease in which carbohydrate utilization is reduced and fat and protein utilization is enhanced. It is caused by insulin deficiency.

  • Diabetic Acidosis

  • A condition in diabetic patients in which the levels of alkali are reduced relative to the level of acids.

  • Diabetic Ketoacidosis

  • A form of acidosis in diabetic patients caused by the enhanced production of ketone bodies.

  • Diabetic Nephrosclerosis

  • A condition in diabetic patients marked by hardening of the kidney from overgrowth and contraction of the connective tissue of the organ.

  • Diagnosis

  • Identifying a disease by its signs, symptoms, and laboratory findings.

  • Diaphragm

  • Primary muscle used for respiration, located just below the lung bases.

  • Diastolic blood pressure

  • The lowest blood pressure measure in the arteries, which occurs between heartbeats.

  • Diathermy machine

  • A piece of equipment used in the operating room to control bleeding.

  • Digestants

  • Medicines that aid or stimulate digestion.

  • Digestion

  • Process the body uses to break down food into simple substances for energy, growth, and cell repair.

  • Digestive system

  • The group of organs that break down foods into chemical components that the body can absorb and use for energy, and for building and repairing cells and tissues.

  • Digital rectal exam (DRE)

  • Procedure in which the physician inserts a gloved finger into the rectum to examine the rectum and the prostate gland for signs of cancer.

  • Dilate

  • Relax; expand.

  • Dilation and curettage (D & C)

  • A common gynecological surgery which consists of widening the cervical canal with a dilator and scraping the uterine cavity with a curette.

  • Diploid

  • A full set of genetic material, consisting of paired chromosomes one chromosome from each parental set. Most animal cells except the gametes have a diploid set of chromosomes. The diploid human genome has 46 chromosomes. Compare haploid.

  • Diplopia

  • Double vision.

  • Disc herniation (DISC PROLAPSE, DISC BULGE, OR SLIPPED DISC)

  • Disruption to the normal integrity of the intervertebral disc.

  • Distention

  • Bloating or swelling of the abdomen.

  • Diuretic

  • A medication that lowers blood pressure.

  • Diuretics

  • Agents that promote the excretion of and/or increase the amount of urine.

  • Diverticulosis

  • Condition that occurs when small pouches (diverticula) push outward through weak spots in the colon.

  • Diverticulum

  • Small pouch in the colon. These pouches are not painful or harmful unless they become infected or irritated.

  • DMD

  • Doctor of Dental Medicine.

  • DNA

  • The substance of heredity; a large molecule that carries the genetic information that cells need to replicate and to produce proteins. DNA is a double-stranded molecule held together by weak bonds between base pairs of nucleotides. The four nucleotides in DNA contain the bases: adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), and thymine (T). In nature, base pairs form only between A and T and between G and C; thus the base sequence of each single strand can be deduced from that of its partner.

  • DNA fingerprint technique

  • A method employed to determine differences in amino acid sequences between related proteins; relies upon the presence of a simple tandem-repetitive sequences that are scattered throughout the human genome.

  • DNA hybridization

  • A technique for selectively binding specific segments of single-stranded (ss) DNA or RNA by base pairing to complementary sequences on ssDNA molecules that are trapped on a nitrocellulose filter.

  • DNA probe

  • Any biochemical used to identify or isolate a gene, a gene product, or a protein.

  • DNA repair genes

  • Certain genes that are part of a DNA repair pathway; when altered, they permit mutations to pile up throughout the DNA.

  • DNA replication

  • The use of existing DNA as a template for the synthesis of new DNA strands. In humans and other eukaryotes, replication occurs in the cell nucleus.

  • DNA sequence

  • The relative order of base pairs, whether in a fragment of DNA, a gene, a chromosome, or an entire genome. See base sequence analysis.

  • Domain

  • A discrete portion of a protein with its own function. The combination of domains in a single protein determines its overall function.

  • Dominant

  • Alleles that determine the phenotype displayed in a heterozygote with another (recessive) allele.

  • Dopa decarboxylase

  • An enzyme present in the body that converts levodopa to dopamine.

  • Dopamine

  • A chemical substance, a neurotransmitter, found in the brain that regulates movement, balance, and walking.

  • Double helix

  • The shape that two linear strands of DNA assume when bonded together.

  • Dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA)

  • Imaging technique that uses a very low dose of radiation to measure bone density for the diagnosis of osteoporosis.

  • Dumping syndrome (RAPID GASTRIC EMPTYING)

  • Condition that occurs when food moves too fast from the stomach into the small intestine.

  • Durable power of attorney

  • A legal document denoting a friend or family member as your legal guardian in case you are unable to make medical decisions for yourself.

  • Dysarthia

  • Group of speech disorders caused by disturbances in the strength or coordination of the muscles of the speech mechanism as a result of damage to the brain or nerves.

  • Dysentery

  • Infectious disease of the colon. Symptoms include bloody, mucus-filled diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, and loss of fluids from the body.

  • Dysequilibrium

  • Any disturbance of balance.

  • Dysfluency

  • Disruption in the smooth flow or expression of speech.

  • Dysgeusia

  • Distortion or absence of the sense of taste.

  • Dyskinesia

  • An involuntary movement including athetosis and chorea.

  • Dysosmia

  • Distortion or absence of the sense of smell.

  • Dyspareunia

  • Pain in the vagina or pelvis experienced during sexual intercourse.

  • Dyspepsia

  • Indigestion.

  • Dysphagia

  • Difficulty in swallowing.

  • Dysphonia

  • Any impairment of the voice or difficulty speaking.

  • Dysplasia

  • An abnormality of growth.

  • Dyspnea

  • Shortness of breath.

  • Dyspraxia of speech

  • Partial loss of the ability to consistently pronounce words in individuals with normal muscle tone and coordination of the speech muscles.

  • Dysrhythmia

  • An abnormal heart rhythm.

  • Dystonia

  • A slow movement or extended spasm in a group of muscles.

  • Dystrophin

  • A protein found in normal muscle tissue.


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General Medicine Terms


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