Definition

A medical condition where muscles are excessively tight or stiff, often leading to difficulty in movement.

Example

The patient was diagnosed with hypertonicity, which made it hard for him to relax his muscles.

Conversation

I was reading about hypertonicity in my biology class.

Oh really? What does that mean exactly?

It's basically when a solution has a higher concentration of solutes compared to another solution.

That sounds interesting! I didn't know that could affect cells so much.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Hypertonicity is formed from "hyper-" (meaning over or excessive) and "tonicity" (from the Greek "tonos", meaning tension or tone). The word describes a condition of excessive tension in muscles or tissues.

Memory Tip

Think of 'hyper-' meaning 'over' and 'tonicity' relating to 'tension' — this helps you remember that hypertonicity refers to excessive muscle tension.

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