systolic blood pressure

the pressure of the blood against the arterial walls produced by the contraction of the heart muscles as the blood is forced into the aorta and the pulmonary artery. See blood pressure. Compare diastolic blood pressure.

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Psychology term of the day

February 1st 2025

A fiber

a myelinated nerve fiber (axon) of the somatosensory system. A fibers are subdivided by diameter, ranging from largest to smallest: A-alpha fibers are 13 to 20 μm in diameter and transmit information from proprioceptors of skeletal muscles, A-beta fibers are 6 to 12 μm and transmit information from mechanoreceptors of the skin, and A-delta fibers are 1 to 5 μm and transmit temperature and sharp pain information. See also B fiber; C fiber.