Definition

Noun: 1. (Biology) The normal rigid state of a cell, blood vessel, or capillary caused by the pressure of its contents against the wall or membrane. This internal pressure, called turgor pressure, is essential for maintaining the shape and structural support of plant cells and some other biological structures.

Usage

• Turgor is a technical term used primarily in biology and medicine.
• It describes the state of being swollen, firm, and rigid due to internal fluid pressure.
• It is often used in the phrase "turgor pressure" to specify the force itself.

Examples

• Noun:
  • Adequate water is necessary for plants to maintain turgor and stay upright.
  • The doctor checked the patient's skin turgor to assess for dehydration.
  • When a plant wilts, it loses turgor in its cells.

Advanced Usage

• "Skin turgor": A clinical assessment where the skin is pinched to see how quickly it returns to its normal position. Slow return indicates poor skin turgor, often a sign of dehydration or aging.
  • Poor skin turgor is a common sign of fluid volume deficit.
• "Loss of turgor": Describes the condition where a cell or tissue becomes flaccid due to a decrease in internal pressure.
  • The flower exhibited a loss of turgor after being without water for a week.

Variants and Related Words

• Turgid (adj): Swollen and distended, often used to describe plant parts or, figuratively, overly pompous language.
  • The turgid stems of the plant indicated it was well-watered.
• Turgidity (n): The state or quality of being turgid.
  • The turgidity of the leaf cells provides structural support.

Synonyms

• Rigidity (in this specific biological context)
• Distension
• Tumidity

Antonyms

• Flaccidity
• Limpness
• Wilt

Noun

1. (biology) the normal rigid state of fullness of a cell or blood vessel or capillary resulting from pressure of the contents against the wall or membrane