intima

American  

[in-tuh-muh] / ˈɪn tə mə /

noun

Anatomy.

plural

intimae

1. the innermost membrane or lining of some organ or part, especially that of an artery, vein, or lymphatic.

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intima British  

/ ˈɪntɪmə /

noun

1. anatomy zoology the innermost layer of an organ or part, esp of a blood vessel

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Other Word Forms

• intimal adjective
• subintimal adjective

Etymology

Origin of intima

1870–75; < New Latin, noun use of feminine of Latin intimus, intumus inmost, equivalent to in- in- ² + -timus superlative suffix; cf. optimal, ultimate

Example Sentences

These mimic the layered structure of the native vascular wall, which, from inside out, is composed of the tunica intima, tunica media and tunica adventitia tissues.

From Science Daily • Jan. 13, 2024

Farther from the heart, where the surge of blood has dampened, the percentage of elastic fibers in an artery’s tunica intima decreases and the amount of smooth muscle in its tunica media increases.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

The critical endothelial lining of the tunica intima is intact.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

Explains Keys: As the fatty protein molecules travel in the bloodstream, they are deposited in the intima, or inner wall of a coronary artery.

From Time Magazine Archive

The arterioles are thickened, the sclerosis being either of the intima or media or of both.

From Arteriosclerosis and Hypertension: with Chapters on Blood Pressure, 3rd Edition. by Warfield, Louis Marshall