SINUSOID

Sinusoid

A sinusoid is a small blood vessel that is a type of capillary similar to a fenestrated endothelium. Sinusoids are actually classified as a type of Open Pore Capillary as opposed to fenestrated. Fenestrated capillaries have diaphragms that cover the pores whereas Open Pore Capillaries lack a diaphragm and just have an open pore. The open pores endothelial cells greatly increase their permeability. In addition, permeability is increased by large inter-cellular clefts and fewer tight junctions. The level of permeability is such as to allow small and medium-sized proteins such as albumin to readily enter and leave the blood stream.

The above text is a snippet from Wikipedia: Sinusoid (blood vessel)
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sinusoid

Noun

  1. A sine curve.
  2. Any of several channels through which venous blood passes in various organs.

Adjective

  1. sinusoidal.
  2. Characteristic of a sinus.


The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: sinusoid
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

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