ARTERIAL MEDIA Meaning and
Definition
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Arterial media refers to the smooth muscle layer commonly found in the walls of arteries, making up a crucial component of their structure. Arteries are blood vessels responsible for carrying oxygenated blood away from the heart and into various organs and tissues throughout the body. The walls of arteries are composed of three layers: the tunica intima (innermost layer), the tunica media (middle layer), and the tunica adventitia (outermost layer). The arterial media, or tunica media, is located between the tunica intima and the tunica adventitia.
The arterial media primarily consists of smooth muscle cells that are arranged in a circular fashion around the blood vessel. These smooth muscle cells are connected to each other by collagen fibers and elastic fibers. The presence of smooth muscle in the arterial media allows for the regulation of blood flow and pressure within the arteries. Through contraction and relaxation, the smooth muscles can narrow or widen the arterial lumen, consequently controlling the resistance to the blood flow.
Smooth muscle cells within the arterial media also contribute to the maintenance of structural integrity and the ability of arteries to withstand blood pressure changes. Additionally, the elastic fibers present in the arterial media enable the arteries to expand and recoil, effectively accommodating the pulsatile flow of blood pumped from the heart. Overall, the arterial media is a crucial component of arteries, responsible for regulating blood flow and pressure while maintaining the structural integrity of these vital blood vessels.
Common Misspellings for ARTERIAL MEDIA
- zrterial media
- srterial media
- wrterial media
- qrterial media
- aeterial media
- adterial media
- afterial media
- atterial media
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- a4terial media
- arrerial media
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- artwrial media
- artsrial media
- artdrial media
- artrrial media
Etymology of ARTERIAL MEDIA
The word "arterial" comes from the Latin word "arteria", which means "air passage" or "windpipe". It was used in ancient Rome to refer to the blood vessels that resemble the air passages (bronchi) in the human body. Over time, the meaning shifted to relate specifically to the major blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood away from the heart to various parts of the body.
The word "media" is derived from the Latin word "medius", which means "middle" or "midway". It originally referred to the middle layer of the wall of an artery, known as the tunica media, which consists of smooth muscle cells and elastic fibers. In the context of arterial media, "media" now refers more generally to the various means of communication, such as newspapers, television, and radio.
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