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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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