contractility

American  

[kon-trak-til-i-tee] / ˌkɒn trækˈtɪl ɪ ti /

noun

1. the property, as of muscle or other tissue, of being able to contract, or draw itself together, reducing its dimensions.

   Improvements in the contractility of the heart can be measured by a number of different methods to determine how much blood the heart pumps with each beat.

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Etymology

Origin of contractility

First recorded in 1710–20; contractil(e) ( def. ) + -ity ( def. )

Example Sentences

Here, the number of cells with a high cortical contractility decreased during tumor progression.

From Science Daily • May 7, 2024

Compaction problems are therefore due to faulty contractility in these cells, and not a lack of adhesion between them, as was previously assumed.

From Science Daily • May 1, 2024

Later, foxglove was found to contain digitalis, a drug that increases heart contractility.

From Washington Post • Nov. 11, 2013

There are several important variables, including size of the heart, physical and mental condition of the individual, sex, contractility, duration of contraction, preload or EDV, and afterload or resistance.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

Some authorities have thought their animality proved by the high degree of contractility which their tissues evince.

From Marvels of Pond-life A Year's Microscopic Recreations by Slack, Henry J.