Longitudinal muscular layer of small intestine

Stratum musculare longitudinale intestini tenuis

  • Latin synonym: Stratum longitudinale tunicae muscularis intestini tenuis; Stratum helicoideum gradus longi
  • Synonym: Longitudinal layer of muscular coat of small intestine; Long pitch helicoidal layer
  • Related terms: Longitudinal layer; Long pitch helicoidal layer

Definition

The muscular coat (tunica muscularis) consists of two layers of unstriped fibers: an external, longitudinal, and an internal, circular layer.

The longitudinal fibers are thinly scattered over the surface of the intestine, and are more distinct along its free border.

The circular fibers form a thick, uniform layer, and are composed of plain muscle cells of considerable length.

The muscular coat is thicker at the upper than at the lower part of the small intestine.

This definition incorporates text from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy (20th U.S. edition of Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body, published in 1918 – from http://www.bartleby.com/107/).

Comparative anatomy in animals

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