How Do You Spell REFLEX VASODILATATION?

1. Reflex vasodilation refers to the physiological response where blood vessels in the body widen or dilate in response to certain stimuli or conditions. It is an automatic or involuntary process that aims to regulate blood flow and maintain homeostasis.

   This reflex occurs due to the activation of sensory nerves known as baroreceptors, which are located in the walls of blood vessels and sense changes in blood pressure. When baroreceptors detect a decrease in blood pressure, they send signals to the brain, specifically the vasomotor center in the medulla oblongata, initiating a reflexive response.

   The vasomotor center then stimulates the relaxation of smooth muscles surrounding blood vessels, mainly arterioles, leading to their dilation. As a result, the cross-sectional area of the blood vessels increases, allowing more blood to flow through them. This increased blood flow helps to restore and maintain normal blood pressure levels.

   Several factors can trigger reflex vasodilation, such as decreased blood volume, low oxygen levels, changes in body temperature, or physical activity. For example, during exercise, the body requires enhanced blood flow to the muscles, so reflex vasodilation occurs to optimize oxygen and nutrient delivery.

   Overall, reflex vasodilation is a vital mechanism that helps maintain blood pressure and ensure adequate blood supply to various tissues and organs in response to changing physiological demands and conditions.

2. Reflex diastole.

   A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.

Common Misspellings for REFLEX VASODILATATION

The word "reflex vasodilatation" can be broken down into two parts: "reflex" and "vasodilatation".

The term "reflex" comes from the Latin word "reflexus", which means "bent back" or "reflection". In the context of biology and physiology, a reflex refers to an involuntary or automatic response to a specific stimulus.

"Vasodilatation" is derived from two Latin words: "vaso" meaning "vessel" and "dilatatio" meaning "widening" or "expansion". In medicine, vasodilatation refers to the relaxatation and widening of blood vessels, especially arterioles, resulting in increased blood flow and decreased vascular resistance. It is the opposite of vasoconstriction, which is the narrowing of blood vessels.