Sphincter
| Sphincter | |
|---|---|
| Identifiers | |
| TA98 | A04.0.00.028 |
| TA2 | 1992 |
| FMA | 75004 |
| Anatomical terms of muscle | |
Look up sphincter in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
A sphincter is a circular muscle that normally maintains constriction of a natural body passage or orifice and relaxes as required by normal physiological functioning. Sphincters are found in many animals. There are over 60 types in the human body, some microscopically small, in particular the millions of precapillary sphincters.[1] Sphincters relax at death, often releasing fluids and faeces.[2]
- ^ Vander, Arthur; Sherman, James; Luciano, Dorothy (1994). Human Physiology: The Mechanism of Body Function (Sixth Edition, International ed.). McGraw Hill, Inc. pp. 437–440. ISBN 0-07-113761-0.
- ^ Emanuel, Linda L.; Ferris, Frank D.; von Gunten, Charles F.; Hauser, Joshua M.; Von Roenn, Jamie H. (February 11, 2010). "The Last Hours of Living: Practical Advice for Clinicians". Medscape.