| muscle, smooth | Unstriated and unstriped muscle, one of the muscles of the internal organs, blood vessels, hair follicles, etc. Contractile elements are elongated, usually spindle-shaped cells with centrally located nuclei. Smooth muscle fibres are bound together into sheets or bundles by reticular fibres and frequently elastic nets are also abundant. (12 Dec 1998) |
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| muscle, smooth, vascular | The nonstriated, involuntary muscle tissue of blood vessels. (12 Dec 1998) |
| smooth muscle | <anatomy, pathology, physiology> Muscle tissue in vertebrates made up from long tapering cells that may be anything from 20-500m long. Smooth muscle is generally involuntary and differs from striated muscle in the much higher actin/myosin ratio, the absence of conspicuous sarcomeres and the ability to contract to a much smaller fraction of its resting length. Smooth muscle cells are found particularly in blood vessel walls, surrounding the intestine (particularly the gizzard in birds) and in the uterus. The contractile system and its control resemble those of motile tissue cells (e.g. Fibroblasts, leucocytes) and antibodies against smooth muscle myosin will cross react with myosin from tissue cells, whereas antibodies against skeletal muscle myosin will not. See: dense bodies. (18 Nov 1997) |
| smooth muscle relaxant | An agent, such as an antispasmodic, bronchodilator, or vasodilator, that reduces the tension or tone of smooth (involuntary) muscle. (05 Mar 2000) |
| smooth muscle tissue | <anatomy, pathology, physiology> Muscle tissue in vertebrates made up from long tapering cells that may be anything from 20-500m long. Smooth muscle is generally involuntary and differs from striated muscle in the much higher actin/myosin ratio, the absence of conspicuous sarcomeres and the ability to contract to a much smaller fraction of its resting length. Smooth muscle cells are found particularly in blood vessel walls, surrounding the intestine (particularly the gizzard in birds) and in the uterus. The contractile system and its control resemble those of motile tissue cells (e.g. Fibroblasts, leucocytes) and antibodies against smooth muscle myosin will cross react with myosin from tissue cells, whereas antibodies against skeletal muscle myosin will not. See: dense bodies. (18 Nov 1997) |
| smooth muscle tumour | A tumour composed of smooth muscle tissue, as opposed to leiomyoma, a tumour derived from smooth muscle. (12 Dec 1998) |
| airway | 1. Any part of the respiratory tract through which air passes during breathing. 2. In anaesthesia or resuscitation, a device for correcting obstruction to breathing, especially an oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal airway, endotracheal airway, or tracheotomy tube. (05 Mar 2000) |
| airway obstruction | Any hindrance to the passage of air into and out of the lungs. (12 Dec 1998) |
| airway pattern | Chest radiographic appearance of thickened bronchial walls, bronchiectasis, bronchiolitis, or acinar consolidation. (05 Mar 2000) |
| airway resistance | The opposition of the tracheobronchial tree to air flow: the mouth-to-alveoli pressure difference divided by the air flow. (12 Dec 1998) |
| anatomical airway | The volume of the conducting airways from the external environment (at the nose and mouth) down to the level at which inspired gas exchanges oxygen and carbon dioxide with pulmonary capillary blood; formerly presumed to extend down to the beginning of alveolar epithelium in the respiratory bronchioles, but more recent evidence indicates that effective gas exchange extends some distance up the thicker-walled conducting airways because of rapid longitudinal mixing. Compare: alveolar dead space, physiologic dead space. Synonym: anatomical airway. (05 Mar 2000) |
| respiratory airway | That part of the airway where interchange of gases occurs; it includes respiratory bronchioles, alveolar ducts, sacs, and alveoli. (05 Mar 2000) |
| conducting airway | The airway from the nasal cavity to a terminal bronchiole. (05 Mar 2000) |
| continuous positive airway pressure | A technique of respiratory therapy, in either spontaneously breathing or mechanically ventilated patients, in which airway pressure is maintained above atmospheric pressure throughout the respiratory cycle by pressurization of the ventilatory circuit. (05 Mar 2000) |
| upper airway | The portion of the respiratory tract that extends from the nares or mouth to and including the larynx. (05 Mar 2000) |