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Definition- Final Draft
Tanis Lewis-King
Writing Definitions
It is of great value to know how to effectively write definitions so that any audience member will be
able to understand the term’s meaning in the context of the piece of writing. As a technical writer, it is
very useful to learn how to effectively communicate subject matter with an individual that is not an
expert in the topic of communication. The objective of this assignment is to compose the following
definitions while carefully considering the audience:
 Parenthetical definition
 Sentence definition
 Expanded definition
In addition to learning how to compose the various types of definitions, it is important to understand
how they differ from one another. The last objective of this assignment is to know how much detail
they should contain given a specific situation and audience. The biological term myocyte will be
defined for an audience that has a twelfth grade level knowledge in biological principles. A
parenthetical definition, sentence definition, and expanded definition will be provided below.
Myocyte
1. Parenthetical definition
Myocytes (cells of the muscles) form the basis of the muscular system of the human body.
2. Sentence definition
Development of the human body relies on specialization of the smallest biological units known as cells.
The cells that are specifically found in muscles are called myocytes.
3. Expanded definition
What is a myocyte?
The presence of muscles throughout the human body powers movement and bodily functions. The cells
that are specifically found in muscles are called myocytes (muscle cells). The term myocyte is derived
from the Greek roots my- meaning “muscle” and cyt- meaning “cell”. Put together, my- and cytbecome myocyte. A close up view of a sectioned piece of muscle tissue with visible myocytes is shown
in figure 1.
Figure 1. Histological section
of myocyte.
Definition- Final Draft
Tanis Lewis-King
What is the significance of myocytes?
Myocytes play an important role in our daily lives. From moving your pen when writing class notes to
the continuous beating of your heart, myocytes form the muscles required for life.
How is the term myocyte used?
In the fields of medicine and science (physiology, biology, etc.) myocyte is used when discussing
muscles at the cellular level. Since medical and biological terms have many roots in Greek and Latin
languages, it is more common to communicate the technical term “myocyte” within medical and
scientific fields. Other times, myocytes are referred to as muscle fibers or muscle cells for simplicity
and understanding with a wider audience range.
What are some variations in the term myocyte?
A similar term “cardiomyocyte” is also defined as a muscle cell, but a muscle cell specific to the heart
as indicated by the additional Greek root cardio- which means “heart.” So although it is more intuitive
to refer to myocytes as muscle cells, it is often easier to use the technical terms since much of the
medical and biological terms are based on Greek and Latin root words.
References
MedicineNet. MedTerms Medical Dictionary. Retrieved May 27, 2015, from
http://www.medicinenet.com/medterms-medical-dictionary/article.htm
E. Klabunde, R. (n.d). Cardiac Myocytes and Sarcomeres. Retrieved June 1, 2015, from
http://www.cvphysiology.com/Cardiac%20Function/CF020.htm
Moyes, Christopher D., & Schulte, Patricia M. (2008). Principles of Animal Physiology (2nd ed.). San Francisco,
CA: Pearson.