D Terms Flashcards
deafness
lack of, or significant loss of, hearing
deciduous
first set of teeth
deep
away from the surface of the body or an organ
deep fascia
a sheet of connective tissue wraped around muscle to hold it in place
deep-venous thrombosis (DVT)
presence of a thrombus in a vein, usually a deep vein of the legs
deglutition
the act of swallowing
demineralization
loss of calcium and phosphorous from the bones
denaturation
disruption in protein structure caused by outside factors such as heat, causing the protein to lose physical properties and biological activity
dendrite
a neuronal process that carries electrical signals toward the cell body
dendritic cell
a type of antigen-presenting cell, with long, branch like projections. common in mucosal linings and skin
dental caries
gradual demineralization of enamel and dentin, aka, tooth decay
dentin
the bony tissue of a tooth
dentition
the eruption of teeth, or the number, shape, and arrangment
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
nucleic acid made of adenine, cytosine, guanine, and thymine; holds encoded genetic material
depression
movement in which a body part moves inferiorly
dermal papilla
fingerlike projections of the dermis, mat contain blood capillaries, or corpuscles of touch
dermatology
study of diseases of the skin
dermatome
an instrument for incising the skin, cutting thin transplants of skin, or the cutaneous area developed from an embryonic spinal cord segment and receiving most of its sensory input from on spinal nerve
dermis
a layer of dense irregular connective tissue, is deep to the epidermis
descending colon
the part of the colon from left colic flexure to the level of the left iliac crest
detrusor muscle
urinary bladder wall muscle
diabetes insipidus
condition caused by hyposecretion of antidiuretic hormone (ADH); characterized by thirst and excessive urination
diabetes mellitus
conditions caused by hyposecretion of insulin; characterized by hyperglycemia, increased urine production, excessive thirst, and excessive eating
diagnosis
distinguishing one disease from another or determining nature of the disease via examination
dialysis
removal of waste products from the blood via diffusion through a selectively permeable membrane
diaphysis
the shaft of a long bone
diarthrosis
a freely moveable joint, such as a gliding, hinge, pivot, saddle, or ball-and-socket
diastole
phase of relaxation/dilation of the heart muscle, especially of the ventricles
diencephalon
the part of the brain consisting of the thalamus, hypothalamus, epithalamus, and subthalamus
diploid
having the normal number of chromosomes, symbolized 2n
direct motor pathways
collections of upper motor neurons that project axons into the spinal cord, where they synapse with lower motor neurons
disease
any change from a state of health
dislocation
displacement of a bone from a joint, with tearing of ligaments, tendons, and articular capsules
distal
farther from the attachment point to the trunk
diuretic
a chemical the inhibits sodium reabsorption, reduces ADH levels, and increases urine output
diverticulum
a sac or pouch in the wall of a canal or organ, especially in the colon
dominant allele
the allele that is expressed due to overriding others
dorsal body cavity
cavity near dorsal surface of the body, consists of the cranial cavity and vertebral canal
dorsiflexion
bending the foot in the direction of the dorsum
ductus arteriosus
small vessel connecting the pulmonary trunk with aorta, found only in the fetus
ductus epididymis
a tightly coiled tube in the epididymis where sperm mature
ductus venosus
a small fetal vessel that helps the circulation bypass the liver
duodenum
the first 25cm of the small intestine
dura mater
the outer membrane covering the brain and spinal cord
dynamic equilibrium
the maintenance of body position in response to sudden movements
dysfunction
absence of completely normal function
dyslexia
impairment of the brain’s ability to understand written language correctly
dysmenorrhea
painful menstration
dysplasia
change in size, shape, and organization of cells due to chronic irritation or inflammation
dyspnea
shortness of breath
dysuria
painful urination
