Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
papillary muscle

papillary muscle

1 7.0
Small heart muscle that pulls valves to stop blood flowing back to the upper chambers when the heart beats
  • noun
  • /ˈpæpɪˌlɛri ˈmʌsəl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : músculo papilar
  • During heart surgery, the surgeon examined the papillary muscle to ensure it was functioning properly to support the valves.
  • chordae and papillary muscle

Examples

  • The papillary muscles play a crucial role in preventing blood from flowing back into the atria during each heartbeat.

  • Aschoff nodules are seen in the papillary muscles, but they are more frequently found in atrial appendages removed at surgery.

    Academic text (2007)

  • There is leaflet dysfunction secondary to problems with the chordae tendinae, papillary muscle, or annulus.

    Academic text (2007)

  • The most frequently reported injury is chordae rupture, followed by rupture of the anterior papillary muscle and leaflet tear, primarily of the anterior leaflet.

    Academic text (2016)

  • Damage to the papillary muscle can lead to serious complications, including valve dysfunction and heart failure.

Surface Forms

papillary muscle singular
papillary muscles plural

Morphology

papillary + muscle

The phrase is a straightforward adjective+noun composition: 'papillary' means 'pertaining to small nipple-like projections' and 'muscle' is body tissue that produces movement, so a 'papillary muscle' is a muscle associated with papillae. This follows regular anatomical naming patterns (cross-linguistically common), so a learner who knows both constituents can infer the referent even if they lack detailed functional knowledge.

Etymology

Papillary muscle The name papillary muscle comes from papillary, from a word meaning 'nipple', because these are small, nipple-shaped muscles inside the heart. They pull thin cords that hold the heart valves and help 'prevent backflow' of blood into the upper chambers, so the name links their shape to their job.