ileocecal valve
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8.0
- noun
- /ˌaɪliˈoʊsiːkəl vælv/
- Specialized
:
válvula ileocecal
- The doctor explained that the ileocecal valve plays a crucial role in digestion.
Examples
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During the surgery, they confirmed that the ileocecal valve was functioning properly.
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My ileocecal valve is, uh-- doesn't work as it should.
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And there's the ileocecal valve which is patent, and it looks fine.
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Although the majority of dietary constituents are absorbed in the small intestine, approximately 1.5 L of intestinal fluid passes through the ileocecal valve each day.
Academic text (2016) -
The small intestine, whose primary function is in nutrient digestion and absorption, starts at the pylorus directly downstream of the stomach and terminates at the ileocecal valve.
Academic text (2016) -
The ileocecal valve prevents materials from flowing back into the small intestine.
Surface Forms
Morphology
The term directly names an anatomical valve at the ileocecal junction: 'ileocecal' (relating to the ileum and cecum) plus 'valve' (a flow-control device) yields the described function of preventing backflow. This is a literal, compositional medical compound, so a learner who knows the constituent words would readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
Ileocecal valve names a small valve where the end of the small intestine, the ileum, meets the start of the large intestine, the cecum. It works like a one-way door to 'stop food from going back' into the small intestine, so it controls the flow between the two parts.