Rigor
Rigor
Rigor (pronounced: /ˈrɪɡər/), also known as rigidity or stiffness, is a medical term used to describe an involuntary contraction of the muscles. The term originates from the Latin word "rigor" which means "stiffness".
Etymology
The term "rigor" is derived from the Latin word "rigere", which means "to be stiff". It has been used in the English language since the late 14th century to describe a state of stiffness or inflexibility.
Definition
In medical context, rigor is a sudden feeling of cold with shivering accompanied by a rise in temperature, often with copious sweating, especially at the onset or height of a fever. It can also refer to a state of stiffness or rigidity, such as in Rigor Mortis, a postmortem state where the muscles become stiff due to lack of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) to relax the muscles after death.
Related Terms
- Fever: A temporary increase in body temperature, often due to an illness.
- Rigor Mortis: A postmortem state where the muscles become stiff due to lack of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) to relax the muscles after death.
- Muscle Rigidity: A condition where the muscles remain involuntarily contracted.
- Shivering: An involuntary bodily function that occurs when a person is cold. It is the body's way of producing heat to warm itself.
- ATP (adenosine triphosphate): A complex organic chemical that provides energy to drive many processes in living cells.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Rigor
- Wikipedia's article - Rigor
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski