Precapillary sphincter
Precapillary Sphincter
Precapillary sphincter (pronunciation: pre-cap-ill-ary sphinc-ter) is a microscopic band of smooth muscle that wraps around the arterioles immediately before they branch into the capillaries.
Etymology
The term "Precapillary sphincter" is derived from the Latin words 'pre' meaning 'before', 'capillaris' meaning 'hairlike', and 'sphincter' meaning 'band' or 'muscle'.
Function
The primary function of the Precapillary sphincter is to regulate blood flow into the capillaries. By contracting or relaxing, it controls the amount of blood that enters the capillaries from the arterioles, thereby playing a crucial role in the distribution of blood in the body.
Related Terms
- Arteriole: A small-diameter blood vessel that extends and branches out from an artery and leads to capillaries.
- Capillary: The smallest of the body's blood vessels, which connect arterioles to venules and enable the exchange of water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and other nutrients and waste substances between the blood and the tissues.
- Smooth Muscle: A type of involuntary non-striated muscle that is found within the walls of organs and structures such as the esophagus, stomach, intestines, bronchi, uterus, urethra, and blood vessels.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Precapillary sphincter
- Wikipedia's article - Precapillary sphincter
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