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Noun: smooth muscle
  1. Muscle tissue that does not appear striated under the microscope; has the form of thin layers or sheets
    "The walls of blood vessels contain smooth muscle that controls their diameter"
     
  2. 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)
    "The smooth muscles of the digestive system help move food through the gut";
    - involuntary muscle

Derived forms: smooth muscles

Type of: muscle, muscular tissue, musculus

Encyclopedia: Smooth muscle