Medical Dictionary
Main Entry:
Rou·get cell Pronunciation:
rü-'zhA- Function:
noun : any of numerous branching cells adhering to the endothelium of capillaries andregarded as a contractile element in the capillary wall
Rouáget /rü-zhA,/ Charles–Marie–Benjamin (1824–1904), French physiologist andanatomist. Rouget's early researches dealt with the anatomy and physiology of the reproductive organs. He made his best contributions in correlating physiology with microscopic structure. Using specialphotographic techniques, he was able to examine the muscle fibers of vertebrates under high magnification. He made noteworthy observations in three areas: contractile tissue, nerve endings, and theeye. For his study of capillary contractility he examined the capillaries of the hyaloid membrane of the eye of a frog. He presented his first findings in 1874, and five years later he made anotherreport on the contractility of blood capillaries. He described certain contractile cells, now called Rouget cells, on the walls of capillaries. His research on nerve endings produced two reports on thesensory receptors in the skin. His later research dealt with the termination of sensory nerve fibers in skeletal muscle and with end plates in particular. Rouget's most important contribution to thestudy of the eye dealt with accommodation of the lens.
(rōō-zhā') 