differentiation 1 The process by which cells become progressively more specialized; a normal process by which cells mature. Cells early in development have the potential to develop into many different types of tissues of the body. Differentiation occurs so the specific body tissues can form. Once developed into a specific cell type, the cell has…
diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis A form of degenerative arthritis characteristically associated with flowing calcification along the sides of the vertebrae of the spine. Abbreviated DISH. DISH commonly includes inflammation (tendonitis) and calcification of the tendons at their points of attachment to bone. Anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, can be helpful in relieving both pain…
DiGeorge syndrome A congenital disorder characterized by low blood calcium because of underdevelopment of the parathyroid glands needed to control calcium; immunodeficiency due to hypoplasia of the thymus (an organ behind the breastbone in which lymphocytes mature and multiply); and defects involving the outflow tracts from the heart. DiGeorge syndrome is caused by a very…
digestive system The system of organs responsible for getting food into and out of the body and for making use of food to keep the body healthy. The digestive system includes the salivary glands, mouth, esophagus, stomach, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, small intestine, colon, and rectum. The digestive system’s organs are joined in a long, twisting…
digit A finger or toe.
digit, supernumerary An extra finger or toe.
digital rectal exam A routine exam in which a physician inserts a lubricated, gloved finger into the rectum and feels for abnormal areas to detect rectal cancer and, in a man, inflammation, enlargement, or cancer of the prostate as well as nerve problems indicated by reduction of the normal tone of the muscles of the…
digitalis A chemical from the dried leaf of the common foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) plant that is to used to strengthen the force of the heartbeat. The Scottish physician William Withering discovered this use for digitalis in the late 1700s. Digitalis, its components, and their derivatives have long been used to treat congestive heart failure and…
dilatate In medicine, to enlarge or expand. Also known as dilate.
dilatation The process of enlargement or expansion. Also known as dilation.
dilate To stretch or enlarge. Also known as dilatate.
dilating The widening and opening of an opening, such as the cervix or esophagus. For example, the amount of widening can be described in terms of the number of fingers that could fit in the cervical opening, or it is described in centimeters.