| contract | 1. To shorten; to become reduced in size; in the case of muscle, either to shorten or to undergo an increase in tension. 2. To acquire by contagion or infection. 3. An explicit bilateral commitment by psychotherapist and patient to a defined course of action to attain the goal of the psychotherapy. Origin: L. Con-traho, pp. -tractus, to draw together (05 Mar 2000) |
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| contract services | Outside services provided to an institution under a formal financial agreement. (12 Dec 1998) |
| contracted foot | A condition of the horse in which a part of the foot, often a heel, is contracted and shrunken as a result of loss of moisture in the hoof. Synonym: contracted heel, talipes cavus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| contracted heel | A condition of the horse in which a part of the foot, often a heel, is contracted and shrunken as a result of loss of moisture in the hoof. Synonym: contracted heel, talipes cavus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| contracted kidney | A diffusely scarred kidney in which the relatively large amount of abnormal fibrous tissue and ischemic atrophy leads to a moderate or great reduction in the size of the organ, as in arteriolar nephrosclerosis and chronic glomerulonephritis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| contracted pelvis | A pelvis with less than normal measurements in any diameter. (05 Mar 2000) |
| contractile | Having the property of contracting. (05 Mar 2000) |
| contractile proteins | Proteins which participate in contractile processes. They include muscle proteins as well as those found in other cells and tissues. In the latter, these proteins participate in localised contractile events in the cytoplasm, in motile activity, and in cell aggregation phenomena. (12 Dec 1998) |
| contractile ring | The equatorial ring of microfilaments that diminishes in diameter probably both by contraction and disassembly as cytokinesis proceeds. (18 Nov 1997) |
| contractile stricture | A stricture due to the presence of contractile tissue which may be dilated but soon returns. Synonym: contractile stricture. (05 Mar 2000) |
| contractile vacuole | A specialised vacuole of eukaryote cells, especially Protozoa, that fills with water from the cytoplasm and then discharges this externally by the opening of a permanent narrow neck. Function is probably osmoregulatory. (18 Nov 1997) |
| contractility | Capacity for becoming short in response to a suitable stimulus. (18 Nov 1997) |
| contraction | <physiology> A shortening or reduction in size, in connection with muscles contraction implies shortening and/or development of tension. Origin: L. Contractus = drawn together (18 Nov 1997) |
| contraction band | A microscopic change in myocardial cells in which excessive contraction, associated with elevated intracellular calcium and serum norepinephrine, causes the formation of transverse amorphous band's in the fibres which are then incapable of contracting again. Synonym: contraction band necrosis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| contraction band necrosis | A microscopic change in myocardial cells in which excessive contraction, associated with elevated intracellular calcium and serum norepinephrine, causes the formation of transverse amorphous band's in the fibres which are then incapable of contracting again. Synonym: contraction band necrosis. (05 Mar 2000) |