Type of muscle found in the walls of arteries and of the intestine and other viscera, and in some other locations of the vertebrate body. Composed of long, spindle-shaped mononucleate cells. Called ”smooth” because it lacks the striations caused by the sarcomeres in skeletal and cardiac muscle cells.

Thin sheets of muscle cells associated with viscera and walls of blood vessels, performing functions not usually under direct voluntary control.

lines the walls of hollow organs.

found in the linings of the blood vessels, along the gastrointestinal tract, in the respiratory tract, and in the urinary bladder; contains few actin and myosin filaments; also called involuntary muscle.

All airways have bronchial smooth muscles in their walls. These muscles are classed as 'smooth' muscle. This means they are not under voluntary control, like the muscles of our legs and arms, but instead respond to circulating hormones and compounds released locally by damaged or inflamed tissue. Many drugs will cause changes in smooth muscle without any effects on our voluntary muscles. Smooth muscle contraction will narrow airways and can also constrict arteries and many other tubes in the body. Smooth muscle relaxation will dilate (widen) these tubes.

One of three types of muscle tissue. Usually consists of sheets of mononucleated cells innervated by the autonomic nervous system.

muscles of the internal organs, which work automatically.

muscle which is not under voluntary control. It is found in the walls of blood vessels, the gastrointestinal tract and the urinary tract, and other organs. It does not include cardiac muscle. It is also known as involuntary muscle.

A type of muscle tissue controlled by the involuntary nervous system, occurring in the walls of the uterus, intestines or blood vessels.

involuntary muscle that appears smooth and without striations.

Sometimes called involuntary muscle. A type of muscle found many places in the body, including the walls of the airways. (It is called smooth muscle simply because of how it looks under a microscope, to distinguish it from striated muscle, which is what makes up the heart as well as voluntary (skeletal) muscle.)

A type of involuntary muscle

a muscle that contracts without conscious control and found in walls of internal organs such as stomach and intestine and bladder and blood vessels (excluding the heart)

muscle tissue that does not appear striated under the microscope; has the form of thin layers or sheets

A special type of muscle that is found in several organs. In the digestive tract it forms the outer walls of the digestive tract

muscles not usually under conscious control, also called involuntary muscle; found mainly in walls of hollow organs

One of three types of muscle tissue in the body characterized by the lack of visible striations and unconscious control over its contraction. It forms part of the walls of hollow organs and blood vessels.

Involuntary muscle tissue found in the walls of almost every organ of the body.

A type of muscle lacking the striations of skeletal and cardiac muscle because of the uniform distribution of myosin filaments in the cell.

muscle that performs automatic tasks, such as constricting blood vessels.

Muscle that lacks striations; found around circulatory system vessels and in the walls of such organs as the stomach, intestines, and bladder. Involuntary, not striated cells that control autonomic functions such as digestion and artery contraction. PICTURE

An involuntary muscle found in internal organs such as the digestive organs or blood vessels.

One of two kinds of muscle, not under the patient's conscious control.

involuntary muscle, i.e.: within the wall of the gastrointestinal tract.

One of the three types of muscle tissue in the body (skeletal, smooth, cardiac). Generally forms the supporting tissue of blood vessels and hollow internal organs such as the stomach, intestine, and bladder. So named because of the absence of microscopic lines called "cross-striations" which are seen in the other two types.

Muscle without sarcomeres and hence without striations. Myofilaments are nonuniformly distributed within small, mononucleated, spindle-shaped cells.

The type of muscle found in the digestive organs, blood vessels, and other internal organs. Controlled via the autonomic nervous system. See also cardiac muscle, striate muscle.

iInvoluntary muscle which does not have cross striations

Smooth muscle is a type of non-striated muscle, found within the "walls" of hollow organs and elsewhere like the bladder and abdominal cavity, the uterus, male and female reproductive tracts, the gastrointestinal tract, the respiratory tract, the vasculature, the skin and the ciliary muscle and iris of the eye. The glomeruli of the kidneys contain a smooth muscle like cell called the mesangial cell. Smooth muscle is fundamentally different from skeletal muscle and cardiac muscle in terms of structure and function.