- oxytalan
- A type of connective tissue fiber histochemically distinct from collagen or elastic fibers described in the periodontal ligament and gingivae. [G. oxys, acid, + talas, suffering, resisting; coined term probably intended to mean “resistant to acid hydrolysis”]
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ox·yt·a·lan (ok-sitґə-lən) a connective tissue fiber that is found in humans, monkeys, and certain other animals and is resistant to acid hydrolysis. It occurs in structures subjected to mechanical stress including tendons, ligaments, adventitia, connective tissue sheaths surrounding skin appendages, and the periodontal membranes. On electron microscopic examination, fibrillar and amorphous components are revealed. Called also oxytalan fiber.
Medical dictionary. 2011.