Medical Dictionary Definitions A-Z List
Medical Dictionary Definitions A - Z - «D»:
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DNA
DNA: Deoxyribonucleic acid. One of two types of molecules
that encode genetic information. (The other is RNA. In humans DNA is the genetic material; RNA is transcribed from it. In some other organisms, RNA is the genetic material and, in reverse fashion, the DNA is transcribed from it.)
DNA is a ...
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DNA (did not attend)
DNA (did not attend): In the UK, DNA is an abbreviation for "did not attend." (In the US, the term used for a patient who missed an appointment is "no-show.")...
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DNA (figurative)
DNA (figurative): The essence or master blueprint of something. Since DNA became widely known to be the genetic material of humans and many other organisms, the term DNA has moved into the popular domaine as a figurative synonym for the basic blueprint, as in "the DNA of top achievers."...
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DNA amplification
DNA amplification: The production of multiple copies of a sequence of DNA. Repeated copying of a piece of DNA.
DNA amplification plays a role in cancer cells. A tumor cell amplifies, or copies, DNA segments as a result of cell signals and sometimes environmental events.
Amplification can occur in...
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DNA assembly
DNA assembly: The process of putting fragments of DNA that have been sequenced into their correct chromosomal positions. The pieces of DNA are assembled to reconstitute the sequence of the chromosome from which they came....
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DNA cloning
DNA cloning: The use of DNA manipulation procedures to
produce multiple copies of a single gene or segment of DNA....
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DNA forensics
DNA forensics: The application
of DNA technology and the
knowledge of DNA genetics to the practice of forensic medicine and to the power of legal medicine.
Crime scene investigation has been markedly changed -- some would say revolutionized -- by the advent of DNA forensics. This
has led to the ...
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DNA molecules, recombinant
DNA molecules, recombinant: A combination of DNA
molecules of different origin that are joined using recombinant DNA technology....
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DNA polymerase
DNA polymerase: Enzyme that catalyzes
(speeds) the polymerization of DNA. DNA polymerase uses preexisting nucleic acid templates and
assembles the DNA from deoxyribonucleotides....
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DNA repair
DNA repair: The body has a series of special enzymes
to repair mutations (changes) in the DNA and restore the DNA to its
original state.
The DNA in genes is constantly mutating and being repaired. This
repair process is controlled by special genes. A mutation in a DNA
repair gene can cripple the...
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DNA repair gene
DNA repair gene: A gene engaged in DNA repair. When a
DNA repair gene is impaired, mutations pile up throughout the DNA.
The DNA in genes is constantly mutating and being repaired. This
repair process is controlled by special genes. A mutation in a DNA
repair gene can cripple the repair process a...
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DNA repair gene, Med1
DNA repair gene, Med1: A gene that codes for one of the key enzymes involved in repairing DNA. The DNA in genes is constantly mutating and being repaired. This repair process is controlled by special genes. A mutation in a DNA repair gene such as Med1 can cripple the repair process and cause a casca...
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DNA repair pathway
DNA repair pathway: The sequence of steps in the repair of DNA.
Each step is governed by an enzyme. ...
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DNA replication
DNA replication: A wondrous complex process whereby the
("parent") strands of DNA in the double helix are separated and each one is
copied to produce a new ("daughter") strand. This process is said to be
"semi-conservative" since one of each parent strand is conserved a...
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DNA sequence
DNA sequence: The precise ordering of the bases (A,T,G,C) from which the DNA is composed.
DNA sequencing involves determining the exact order of the base pairs in a segment of DNA....
