Category: D

The logarithm to the base 10 of the opacity of an exposed and processed film. The amount of hairs on your head. If you have loads of hair, your hair has heavy density; if you have less hair, your hair has light density. Degree of compactness or relative weight of a substance compared with a…

Extensions of the nerve cell body. They are short and branched and receive stimuli from other neurons. Branchlike structures on one end of a neuron responsible for bringing information into the cell body. A branch of the nerve cell that receives nerve impulses from the axon of a neighboring nerve; a treelike extension of the…

Rupture of the hydrogen bonds by heating a DNA solution and then cooling it rapidly causes the two complementary strands to separate. To alter the original state of a food sub- stance by physical or chemical means. The loss of the native conformation of a macromolecule resulting, for instance, from heat, extreme pH (i.e., acidity…

Process that releases substantial amounts of carbon dioxide in the liver.  

An acquired organic mental disorder with loss of intellectual abilities of sufficient severity to interfere with social or occupational functioning. The dysfunction is multifaceted and involves memory, behavior, personality, judgment, attention, spatial relations, language, abstract thought, and other executive functions. The intellectual decline is usually progressive, and initially spares the level of consciousness. An organic…

A genetic rearrangement through loss of segments of DNA (chromosomes), bringing sequences, which are normally separated, into close proximity. Loss of a section of the genetic material from a chromosome. The size of a deleted material can vary from a single nucleotide to sections containing a number of genes. A type of chromosome mutation in…

Undergoing degeneration : tending to degenerate; having the character of or involving degeneration; causing or tending to cause degeneration. A change of tissue to a less active form, degeneration. Progressive destruction of cells due to disease or aging process. Degenerative disorders encompass a gradual and ongoing deterioration of both the physical structure and operational capacity…

Family of antimicrobial peptides that have been identified in humans, animals, and plants. They are thought to play a role in host defenses against infections, inflammation, wound repair, and acquired immunity. Based on the disulfide pairing of their characteristic six cysteine residues, they are divided into alpha-defensins and beta-defensins. Destructive peptides (groups of amino acids)…

Unconscious process used by an individual or a group of individuals in order to cope with impulses, feelings or ideas which are not acceptable at their conscious level; various types include reaction formation, projection and self reversal. Unconscious intrapsychic processes serving to provide relief from emotional conflict and anxiety. Conscious efforts are frequently made for…

In cancer, the first occurrence of cancer in the body. A Latin expression meaning ‘‘from the beginning’’. In law, anew. Used to indicate that a court will hear the entire case, not just review the record of the lower tribunal.