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| Vitamin
Glossary |
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Vitamin
Glossary "D"
- de-differentiation:-loss
by mature cells of some of their specialized
properties and reversion to a less developed state.
De-differentiation is a normal part of healing and
regeneration. De-differentiation is also often a
part of the early development of tumors.
- demulcent-
an herb that is rich in mucilage and soothes and
protects irritated or inflamed tissue. Demulcent
herbs reduce irritation down the whole length of the
bowel; reduce sensitivity to potentially corrosive
gastric acids; help prevent diarrhea and reduce the
muscle spasms that cause colic.
- demyelination-
reduction of the fatty covering of the nerves,
removal of the myelin
sheath.
- dental
amalgam- an alloy containing mercury, tin,
silver, and copper that is used in dentistry to
restore teeth.
- dehydroascorbic
acid-toxic oxidized from of vitamin C
(ascorbic acid); it is a pro-oxidant rather than
antioxidant.
- dermatitis-
inflammation
of the skin with itching, redness, and various skin lesions.
- desensitization-
the treatment of allergies by repeated injections of
dilute solutions containing the allergen.
Slowly promotes tolerance of the antigen
by the immune system.
- detoxification-
the process of removing toxins from the body.
- diastolic-the
part of the heartbeat cycle during which blood
pressure is lowest, when the heart is relaxed; if
you have a blood pressure of 115/70, 70 is your
diastolic blood pressure.
- diastolic pressure-
the period of least pressure in the arterial
vascular system.
- differentiation-a
genetic clock program of cellular development with
time. Cells begin with the ability to turn into many
different tissue types; through the process of
differentiation, they become more and more
specialized in function and generally retain the
properties of cells of a specific type of tissue.
- diffusion-a
passive form of random movement in which areas of
high chemical concentration gradually spread
throughout an entire system, equalizing the chemical
concentration over the system. For example, the
exchange of gases in the lungs occurs by simple
diffusion across capillary walls.
- dimethylbenzanthracene-a
type of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon, a tarry
carcinogenic substance produced during the
combustion of fuels.
- disulfide
bond- a sulfur to sulfur bond found in both
normal and abnormal cross-linked proteins, bonding a
protein to parts of the same molecule of to other
molecules. These bonds provide the three dimensional
structure of molecule containing them. Latex is
vulcanized to form rubber by the controlled
formation of disulfide bonds.
- diuretic-
a substance which increases the production and
elimination of urine.
- diverticulitis-
inflammation of a sac or pouch in the intestinal
tract, most commonly in the colon region, causing
stagnation of feces and pain.
- DMSO-dimethyl
sulfoxide, a hydroxyl radical-scavenging solvent
that rapidly penetrates the skin.
- DNA-deoxyribonucleic
acid, the genetic material, encoding full plans for
how living organisms are constructed and how they
function. Damage to DNA is believed to be a central
feature of both aging and cancer.
- L-Dopa-precursor
to dopamine.
- dopamine-
an amino acid found in the adrenal gland. Used to
treat hypotension and Parkinson's disease.
- dopaminergic-those
parts of the nervous system in the brain which use
dopamine as neurotransmitter.
- doshas-
the three basic types of biological humors in
Ayurvedic medicine, which determine an individual's
constitution.
- dosimeter-a
device for measuring accumulated exposure to x-rays,
gamma rays, or other hazardous radiation.
- double
blind-a technique used in modern scientific
research to separate facts from the hopes and wishes
of both scientists and experimental subjects. A
treatment which is to be tested is administered by
scientists who do not know whether they are using
the active treatment or the inactive placebo. The
experimental subjects don't know which is which,
wither. The test results are evaluated by scientists
who also do not know which group received the active
treatment and which the placebo. At the end of the
experiment, the secret code is broken, and the
responses of the subjects to the real experimental
treatment are compared with their responses to the
placebo.
- duodenal
ulcer- damaged mucous membrane in a portion
of the small intestine.
- dyspepsia-
imperfect or painful digestion.
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The reader is cautioned
that this is not an all-inclusive reference, but a necessarily selective
source of information intended to suggest the scope of the issue
herein.
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Email
rick@earthtrade.com
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