contractility
Ability to squeeze
Contractility is the capacity of muscle tissue to shorten and generate force.
The term appears most often in medical and physiological contexts, particularly regarding heart muscle: The drug improved cardiac contractility.
Poor contractility means the muscle doesn't squeeze effectively.
The concept extends to any tissue or cell capable of contraction.
Muscular tissue of heart
- systoleHeart muscle contraction phase
- diastoleCardiac relaxation phase
- ventriclesMuscular pumping chambers
- atriaRoofed central courts
preload · afterload · digitalis · echocardiogram · cardiomyopathy · arrhythmia
Cellular contractile protein
- myosinMotor protein enabling contraction
- troponinMuscle regulatory protein complex
- acetylcholineNeurotransmitter for muscles and memory
- ATPCell's energy molecule
twitch · tetanus · fasciculation · cramp · myopathy · relaxation
Collagen-producing connective tissue cells
- cytoskeletonInternal protein support structure
- collagenStructural body protein
Strenuous effort; also childbirth
- contractionsShortened word forms
- oxytocinBonding neurotransmitter from hypothalamus
- pitocinSynthetic labor-starting hormone
- uterusFemale reproductive organ
parturition · delivery · prostaglandins · effacement · midwifery · doula · birth
Arterial walls contracting inward
- vasodilationRelaxation of vessel walls
- endotheliumCells lining blood vessels
- vasospasmSudden arterial constriction
- arteriolesSmallest arterial vessels
myocardium
Muscular tissue of heart
- systoleHeart muscle contraction phase
- diastoleCardiac relaxation phase
- ventriclesMuscular pumping chambers
atria · preload · afterload · digitalis · echocardiogram · cardiomyopathy · arrhythmia
actin
Cellular contractile protein
- myosinMotor protein enabling contraction
- troponinMuscle regulatory protein complex
- acetylcholineNeurotransmitter for muscles and memory
ATP · twitch · tetanus · fasciculation · cramp · myopathy · relaxation
fibroblasts
Collagen-producing connective tissue cells
- cytoskeletonInternal protein support structure
- collagenStructural body protein
labor
Strenuous effort; also childbirth
- contractionsShortened word forms
- oxytocinBonding neurotransmitter from hypothalamus
- pitocinSynthetic labor-starting hormone
uterus · parturition · delivery · prostaglandins · effacement · midwifery · doula · birth
vasoconstriction
Arterial walls contracting inward
- vasodilationRelaxation of vessel walls
- endotheliumCells lining blood vessels
- vasospasmSudden arterial constriction
- heartheartbeat, heart attack, heart muscle, heart rate, heart failure
- circulationblood, circulation, arteries, veins, bloodstream
- muscle propertiesstrength, flexibility, elasticity, endurance, tone
- hemodynamicsblood pressure, blood flow, cardiac output, heart rate, preload
- flexibilitystretch, elastic, bendy, stretchy, bendable
- cell biologycell membrane, cell division, cytoplasm, ribosome, mitochondria
contractilityrigidity
State of being unbending
inflexibility · stiffness · inelasticity · immobility · fixedness
contractilityflaccidity
Lack of firmness
atony · relaxation · unresponsiveness · inertia · laxity
contractilitypassivity
State of non-resistance
inertness · relaxation · extensibility · elasticity · plasticity
contract, contraction, contracted, contractor, contracts, contracting, retraction, contractors, contractual