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. )

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

contractility

"Even partial restoration of the connection between the right vagus nerve and the heart is sufficient to counteract the mechanisms of remodelling and preserve effective cardiac contractility," adds Anar Dushpanova, cardiologist at TrancriLab.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 1, 2026

"The noninvasive cells still have a high cortical contractility, keeping them together, while the moderately invasive cells have a nearly disappearing cortical contractility," said Blauth.

From Science Daily ● May 7, 2024

From the American Journal of Therapeutics: It “exerts no effect on the coronary flow, contractility, blood pressure, or heart rate. It has no significant negative inotropic or vasodilatory properties at rest or during exercise.”

From Washington Post ● Feb. 11, 2022

This effect can be partially overcome by increasing the second variable, contractility, and raising SV, but over time, the heart is unable to compensate for decreased filling time, and preload also decreases.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

Concerning the behaviour of the forms of cell here involved, all authors are agreed that under no conditions do the lymphocytes shew the smallest spontaneous movement; whilst the polynuclear neutrophil cells always exhibit vigorous contractility.

From Histology of the Blood Normal and Pathological by W. Myers

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