fibro-, fibr-, fiber- +

That part of food that can not be digested in the gastrointestinal tract, although it can be metabolized in the colon by the micro-organisms that exist there.

Fiber roughage consists of four categories: cellulose, hemicelluloses, lignins and pectins; found in unrefined foods; such as, wholemeal cereals and flour, root vegetables, nuts and fruit.

It is known to affect bowel functions, probably because of its capacity to hold water in a gel-like form and it is makes an important contribution to the prevention of constipation, diverticulosis (presence of small bulging sacs pushing outward from the colon wall), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or recurrent abdominal pain and diarrhea often alternating with periods of constipation, appendicitis, diabetes mellitus (disease associated with abnormally high levels of the sugar glucose in the blood), and cancer of the colon.

Many western diets do not contain enough fiber roughage to satisfy the needs in human bodies.

1. An elongated, threadlike structure.
2. A slender, elongated, threadlike object or structure.
3. In botany, one of the elongated, thick-walled cells that give strength and support to plant tissue.
4. In anatomy, any of the filaments constituting the extracellular matrix of connective tissue.
5. Any of various elongated cells or threadlike structures, especially a muscle fiber or a nerve.
6. A natural or synthetic filament; such as, of cotton or nylon, capable of being spun into yarn.
7. Something that provides substance or texture.
8. Basic strength or toughness; fortitude; such as, lacking in moral fiber.
9. Coarse, indigestible plant matter, consisting primarily of polysaccharides; such as, cellulose, that when eaten stimulates intestinal peristalsis.

A fiberoptic endoscope for examining the colon.

A fiberoptic endoscope for examining the stomach.

Glass spun into fine fibers.

It is used in the building industry for insulation. The fibers are irritating to the skin.

The transmission of luminousness to an object by the use of clusters of very thin threadlike filaments of such substances as glass or plastic: The fiber-illumination used to incandesce the room produced a soft almost hazy shimmer, glowing through the fine strands.

A visualizing technique enabling the operator to examine the internal organs with a minimum of disturbance or damage to bodily tissues.

This procedure has transformed the management of, for example, gastrointestinal diseases.

In chest disease, fiberoptic bronchoscopy has now replaced the rigid wide-bore metal tube which was previously used for examination of the tracheo-bronchial tree.

Fiberoptic colonoscopy can visualize the entire length of the colon and it is now possible to biopsy polyps (any mass of tissue that bulges or projects outward or upward from a normal body surface level), or suspected carcinomas, and to perform polypectomy (surgical removal of a polyp).

Flexible material of glass, or plastic, that transmits light along its course by reflecting it from the side or wall of the fiber.

Use of this principle permits transmission of light, and therefore visual images, around sharp curves and corners.

Devices that use fiberoptic materials are useful in endoscopic examinations.

A flexible endoscope that uses fiberoptics for visualization.

The presence of formed fibrin in the blood (protein formed during normal blood clotting that is the essence of the clot), causing thrombosis or embolism.

Having the form of a fiber or fibers; resembling a fiber.

1. A very slender natural or synthetic fiber.
2. A small fiber or a fine thread.
3. A very small filamentous structure, often the component of a cell or a fiber.

1. The protein formed during normal blood clotting which is the essence of the clot.
2. An insoluble protein that is essential to the clotting of blood, formed from fibrinogen with the action of thrombin (key blood clot promoter).

The substance is produced in threads; after the threads have formed a close meshwork through the blood, they contract, and produce a dense, felted mass.

Fibrin is found in all inflammatory conditions within serous cavities like the pleura, peritoneum, and pericardium, and forms a thick coat upon the surface of the inflamed joints, and in the lung as a result of pneumonia.

Having the appearance of fibers; fiber-like.

1. A protein synthesized by the liver and present in blood plasma that is converted into fibrin through the action of thrombin (an enzyme that acts on fibrinogen in blood causing it to clot) and in the presence of calcium ions.
2. A soluble protein present in the blood that is activated by thrombin to form fibrin.

Fibrinogen is a clotting factor and is required to prevent major blood loss.