| smooth muscular sphincter | A sphincter of smooth musculature. Synonym: smooth muscular sphincter. Origin: G. Lissos, smooth, + sphincter (05 Mar 2000) |
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| smooth strain | <microbiology> Bacterial strains that have altered outer cell wall carbohydrate chains causing colonies on agar to change their appearance from smooth to dull. In Streptococci the smooth strains are virulent whereas the rough strains are not. This is partly because the rough strains are much more readily phagocytosed. (17 Dec 1997) |
| smooth surface caries | Caries initiated on the smooth surfaces of teeth. (05 Mar 2000) |
| smooth-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum | Endoplasmic reticulum that is lacking in ribosomal granules; involved in synthesis of complex lipids and fatty acids, detoxification of drugs, carbohydrate synthesis, and sequestering of Ca++. Synonym: smooth-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum. (05 Mar 2000) |
| endoplasmic reticulum, smooth | A type of endoplasmic reticulum lacking associated ribosomes on the membrane surface. It exhibits a wide range of specialised metabolic functions including supplying enzymes for steroid synthesis, detoxification, and glycogen breakdown. In muscle cells, smooth endoplasmic reticulum is called sarcoplasmic reticulum. (12 Dec 1998) |