smooth muscle

American

noun

Anatomy.

involuntary muscle tissue in the walls of viscera and blood vessels, consisting of nonstriated, spindle-shaped cells.

smooth muscle British

noun

muscle that is capable of slow rhythmic involuntary contractions: occurs in the walls of the blood vessels, alimentary canal, etc Compare striped muscle

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of smooth muscle

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

smooth muscle

"Our next goal is to elucidate the whole picture of the interactions between renin cells, smooth muscle cells, nerves and inflammatory cells under RAS inhibition," said researcher Maria Luisa S. Sequeira-Lopez, MD.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 21, 2024

They found striking parallels between changes in the smooth muscle cells and tumor cells, including hyperproliferation, resistance to cell death, and invasiveness.

From Science Daily ● May 1, 2024

The researchers could further accelerate atherosclerosis in mice by introducing a genetic mutation that increased DNA damage within the smooth muscle cells.

From Science Daily ● May 1, 2024

Vascular tissue from healthy mice and people had no signs of smooth muscle cells with the DNA damage found in atherosclerotic plaques.

From Science Daily ● May 1, 2024

What causes the contraction of smooth muscle fibers?

From Hygienic Physiology : with Special Reference to the Use of Alcoholic Drinks and Narcotics by Steele, Joel Dorman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023