glomus caroticum
The definitions used in this glossary of terminology either have been provided by the authors of the articles, or have been extracted wholly or in part, or paraphrased from the following sources: The American Medical Association Encyclopedia of Medicine, Charles B. Clayman, MD, Medical Editor, Random House, New York, 1989; Biotechnology from A to Z, 2d Edition, William Bains, Oxford University Press, New York, New York, 2002; A Dictionary of Genetics, 6th Edition, Robert C. King and William D. Stansfield, Oxford University Press, New York, New York, 2002; Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary, 29th and 30th Editions, W. B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia, 2000, 2003; Genes VII, Benjamin Lewin, Oxford University Press, New York, New York, 2000; The Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders, Volumes I and II, Stacey L. Blachford, Ed., Thomson Learning, New York, New York, 2002; The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Inc., Springfield, Massachusetts, 1997; Molecular Biology of the Cell, 3rd Edition, Bruce Alberts, et al., Garland Publishing, 1994; The Random House Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged Edition, 1966; Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, 1991.
DEFINITION:
- glomus caroticum
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Carotid glomus: a small neurovascular structure lying in the bifurcation of the right and left carotid arteries, made up of richly innervated epithelioid glomus cells (type 1) surrounded by type II cells. It functions as an arterial chemoreceptor (although which component is responsible is uncertain), with stimulation by hypoxia, hypercapnia, or elevated hydrogen ion concentration resulting in an increase in blood pressure, cardiac rate, and respiratory movements. Another function may be as an endocrine gland. Called also "carotid body."
Used in 4 Term definitions
Used in 4 Term definitions