sphincter

/'sfiɳktə/

Thân thiện

The doctor explains how the esophageal sphincter works during digestion.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A ring of muscle that contracts to close an opening: A sphincter is a circular band of muscle that surrounds a natural opening or passage in the body. Its primary function is to constrict or close that opening by contracting.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The anal sphincter controls the release of feces from the body.
  • A malfunction of the esophageal sphincter can cause acid reflux.
  • The surgeon carefully repaired the damaged sphincter muscle.

Advanced Usage

• "Sphincter tone": Refers to the normal state of slight contraction in a sphincter muscle at rest, which is important for continence.
  • The doctor assessed the patient's anal sphincter tone during the examination.

Variants and Related Words

• Sphincteral (adj): Pertaining to or of the nature of a sphincter. (Rarely used in common language, more technical).
• Sphincteric (adj): Relating to or resembling a sphincter.
  • The procedure focused on the sphincteric region.

Synonyms

• Constrictor: A muscle that narrows a passage or closes an opening. (Note: While similar, "constrictor" is a more general term and not always interchangeable with the specific anatomical term "sphincter").
• Valve: A structure that regulates the flow of fluid. (Note: A valve can be mechanical or biological and is not exclusively muscular like a sphincter).

Related Phrases

(Note: "Sphincter" is a specific anatomical term and does not commonly form phrasal verbs or idioms in everyday English. The following are descriptive phrases used in medical contexts.) - Sphincter of Oddi: A specific muscular valve that controls the flow of digestive juices from the liver and pancreas into the small intestine. - Sphincter muscle: A common descriptive phrase used to specify the type of muscle.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a ring of muscle that contracts to close an opening

Từ đồng nghĩa

• anatomical sphincter
• sphincter muscle