smooth muscle

noun, Anatomy
1.
involuntary muscle tissue in the walls of viscera and blood vessels, consisting of nonstriated, spindle-shaped cells.
Origin
1885-90
Examples from the web for smooth muscle
  • It consists of three sets of smooth muscle fibers: longitudinal, circular and oblique.
  • Bundles of smooth muscle fibers allow animals to puff up their fur for insulation or to intimidate others.
  • The smooth muscle in our intestinal walls has but one mission in life: to propel dinner farther down the digestive pipe.
British Dictionary definitions for smooth muscle

smooth muscle

noun
1.
muscle that is capable of slow rhythmic involuntary contractions: occurs in the walls of the blood vessels, alimentary canal, etc Compare striped muscle
Word Origin
so called because there is no cross-banding on the muscle
smooth muscle in Medicine

smooth muscle n.
Muscle tissue that contracts without voluntary control, having fine myofibrils but lacking transverse striations and found in the walls of internal organs, blood vessels, and hair follicles.

Encyclopedia Article for smooth muscle

involuntary muscle

muscle that shows no cross stripes under microscopic magnification. It consists of narrow spindle-shaped cells with a single, centrally located nucleus. Smooth muscle tissue, unlike striated muscle, contracts slowly and automatically. It constitutes much of the musculature of internal organs and the digestive system.

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