Category: Dl-Du

An extension of the peritoneal cavity between the rectum and the back wall of the uterus. Also known as the rectouterine pouch.

Usually, a stream of water applied into the vagina for cleansing purposes. A douche can use a solution, such as vinegar and water, rather than simple water, and it can be directed at any body cavity or part.

Stands for Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course. DOTS is a strategy used to reduce the number of tuberculosis (TB) cases. In DOTS, healthcare workers observe patients as they take their medicine. Left alone, many people with tuberculosis fail to take all their medication and contribute to the spread of drug-resistant tuberculosis.

The back or posterior side of a structure. Something that pertains to the dorsum is dorsal.

Relating to the back or posterior of a structure. As opposed to the ventral, or front, of the structure. Some of the dorsal surfaces of the body are the back, buttocks, calves, and the knuckle side of the hand.

An abnormal and persistent fear of fur. Sufferers of this fear avoid fur-bearing animals such as dogs, cats, foxes, beavers and rabbits because fur is repulsive to them. Perhaps some of these phobics associate fur with childhood stories about “the big bad wolf” and other fur-bearing predators. Their fear is not always unfounded, for many furry animals —…

A form of ultrasound that can detect and measure blood flow. Doppler ultrasound depends on the Doppler effect, a change in the frequency of a wave resulting here from the motion of a reflector, the red blood cell. There are several kinds of Doppler ultrasound: Color Doppler depicts blood flow in a region and is used as…

An important neurotransmitter (messenger) in the brain. Dopamine is classified as a catecholamine (a class of molecules that serve as neurotransmitters and hormones). It is a monoamine (a compound containing nitrogen formed from ammonia by replacement of one or more of the hydrogen atoms by hydrocarbon radicals). Dopamine is a precursor (forerunner) of adrenaline and a closely related molecule, noradrenaline. Dopamine is formed by the decarboxylation…

A condition that typically begins in childhood or adolescence with progressive difficulty in walking and, in some cases, spasticity and can be successfully treated with drugs. Segawa dystonia is an important variant of dopa-responsive dystonia. In Segawa dystonia, the symptoms fluctuate during the day from relative mobility in the morning to increasing disability in the afternoon and evening and after exercise. Dopa-responsive…

A genetic trait is considered dominant if it is expressed in a person who has only one copy of that gene. (In genetic terms, a dominant trait is one that is phenotypically expressed in heterozygotes). A dominant trait is opposed to a recessive trait which is expressed only when two copies of the gene are present. (In genetic terms,…