carotid sinus

noun

, Anatomy.

1. specialized nerve end organs producing a slight dilatation of the carotid artery where it branches into the external and internal carotid arteries, responding to changes in blood pressure by mediating changes in the heartbeat rate.

carotid sinus

1. A dilated region that is located at the point of bifurcation of the carotid artery and contains pressure receptors (called baroreceptors), which upon stimulation cause slowing of the heart rate, vasodilation, and a decrease in blood pressure.

Word History and Origins

Origin of carotid sinus¹

First recorded in 1940–45