carotid body

noun

: a small body of vascular tissue that adjoins the carotid sinus, functions as a chemoreceptor sensitive to change in the oxygen content of blood, and mediates reflex changes in respiratory activity

Word History

First Known Use

1925, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of carotid body was in 1925

Dictionary Entries Near carotid body

carotid artery

carotid body

carotid sinus

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Carotid body.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carotid%20body. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

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Medical Definition

carotid body

noun
: a small body of vascular tissue that adjoins the carotid sinus, functions as a chemoreceptor sensitive to change in the oxygen content of blood, and mediates reflex changes in respiratory activity

called also carotid gland, glomus caroticum

More from Merriam-Webster on carotid body

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about carotid body

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