Refractory Period

Definition: Refractory Period

Refractory Period

Noun

1. (neurology) the time after a neuron fires or a muscle fiber contracts during which a stimulus will not evoke a response.

Crosswords: Refractory Period

Specialty definitions using "refractory period": Bunaftine ♦ demand inhibited ♦ Refractory Period, Psychological ♦ ventricular demand. (references)

Specialty Definition: Refractory period

The refractory period is a recovery phase after male ejaculation during which it is physiologically impossible for almost all men to experience sustained erection and additional ejaculations or orgasms. The penis may be hypersensitive and further sexual stimulation may even feel painful during this time frame.

The refractory period varies widely between individuals, ranging from minutes to hours. An increased infusion of the hormone oxytocin during ejaculation is believed to be chiefly responsible for the refractory period and the amount by which oxytocin is increased may affect the length of each refractory period.

Unlike men, women do not experience a refractory period immediately after orgasm and in many cases are capable of attaining additional, multiple orgasms through further stimulation.

Anagrams: Refractory Period

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams
	Words within the letters "a-c-d-e-e-f-i-o-o-p-r-r-r-r-t-y"
	-4 letters: depreciatory.
	-5 letters: deprecatory, depreciator, predicatory, proofreader, redecorator.
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