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Glite Dictionary
end organ

end organ

1 8.6
A small part at the end of a nerve that senses touch or makes a muscle move
  • noun
  • /ɛnd ˈɔrɡən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : órgano terminal
  • The doctor explained that the patient's end organ was affected by high blood pressure.
  • end organ damage

Examples

  • Regardless of the cause, middle ear trauma through the external auditory canal may result in permanent end-organ damage and, in some cases, a dead ear.

    Academic text (2006)

  • He has had an ECG and blood checks, which were all normal, and so there is no end-organ damage from his elevated blood pressure.

    Academic text (2011)

  • Some authors hypothesize that they are both derived from an end-organ genetic abnormality in which an unidentified trophic factor is responsible for the development of these two pathologies.

    Academic text (2015)

  • To assess the effects of diabetes, they performed tests to check for any end organ complications.

  • During the examination, the medical team monitored signs of end organ failure in the patient.

Synonyms

nerve ending
vsend organ
  • Specialized
9 4.1

A tiny part of the body that sends feelings like touch or pain to the brain

is broader and includes both sensory and motor roles as receptor or effector
nerve end
vsend organ
  • Specialized
5.8

The small tip of a nerve that sends and receives signals

is more specialized, acting as a receptor or effector at the peripheral end

Surface Forms

end organ singular
end organs plural

Morphology

end + organ

The phrase is compositionally built from 'end' (outer extremity) + 'organ' (a body part), so a learner who knows both words can infer it denotes an organ located at an end or extremity. Although the term is technical, the spatial/positional meaning is directly derivable and follows common compounding patterns, making it accessible to learners who know the constituents.

Etymology

End organ pictures a tiny organ sitting at the very end of a nerve, like a light at the end of a wire or a button on a cable that 'feels' a touch or helps a muscle 'act'. So an end organ is the small special part at a nerve ending that 'senses' things or 'causes' movement.