intima

American  

[in-tuh-muh] / ˈɪn tə mə /

noun

Anatomy.

intimae plural

1. the innermost membrane or lining of some organ or part, especially that of an artery, vein, or lymphatic.

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intima British  

/ ˈɪntɪmə /

noun

1. anatomy zoology the innermost layer of an organ or part, esp of a blood vessel

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• intimal
  adjective
• subintimal
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• intimae
  plural

Etymology

Origin of intima

1870–75; < New Latin, noun use of feminine of Latin intimus, intumus inmost, equivalent to in- in- ² + -timus superlative suffix; cf. optimal, ultimate

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

intima

These mimic the layered structure of the native vascular wall, which, from inside out, is composed of the tunica intima, tunica media and tunica adventitia tissues.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 13, 2024

Arteries, arterioles, venules, and veins are composed of three tunics known as the tunica intima, tunica media, and tunica externa.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

The critical endothelial lining of the tunica intima is intact.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

The result of the thickening and roughening of the intima is to impede, or even stop, the passage of blood through the artery in which the condition exists.

From Time Magazine Archive

When such degeneration has taken place, the normal blood pressure may be sufficient to cause stretching of the already weakened media with or without hypertrophy of the intima.

From Arteriosclerosis and Hypertension: with Chapters on Blood Pressure, 3rd Edition. by Warfield, Louis Marshall