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Sphincter
Sphincter A ring-like band of muscle that opens and closes an opening in the body. An example is the muscle between the esophagus and the stomach known as the lower esophageal sphincter.
RELATED TERMS--------------------------------------
Muscle
Tissue made up of bundles of long, slender cells that contract when stimulated.
Esophagus
The organ that connects the mouth to the stomach. Also called gullet.
Stomach
The organ between the esophagus and the small intestine. The stomach is where digestion of protein begins.
Esophageal
Pertaining to the esophagus.
Sphincter
A ring-like band of muscle that opens and closes an opening in the body. An example is the muscle between the esophagus and the stomach known as the lower esophageal sphincter.
SIMILAR TERMS--------------------------------------
Sphincter of Oddi
The muscle between the common bile duct and pancreatic ducts.
PREVIOUS AND NEXT TERMS--------------------------------------
Somatostatin
A hormone in the pancreas that helps tell the body when to make the hormones insulin, glucagon, gastrin, secretin, and renin.
Spastic colon
See irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
SPECT
Single-photon emission computed tomography. In nuclear medicine, it provides 3-D computer-reconstructed images of multiple views of the region of interest.
Spectroscopy
The science of measuring the emission and absorption of different wavelengths (spectra) of visible and non-visible light, this can be done via a spectroscope, which consists of a slit, prism, collimator lens, object lens, and a grating.
Sphygmomanometer
The instrument used to measure blood pressure.
Sphincter
Sphincter of Oddi
The muscle between the common bile duct and pancreatic ducts.
Spinal anesthesia
Injection of an anesthetic into the area around the spinal cord to block pain sensation during surgery.
Spine
A column in the body consisting of 33 vertebrae.
Spleen
The organ that cleans blood and makes white blood cells.
Splenic flexure syndrome
A condition that occurs when air or gas collects in the upper parts of the colon. Causes pain in the upper left abdomen. The pain often moves to the left chest and may be confused with heart problems.
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