Definition: Long, pliable, cohesive natural or manufactured filaments of various lengths. They form the structure of some minerals. The medical significance lies in their potential ability to cause various types of PNEUMOCONIOSIS (e.g., ASBESTOSIS) after occupational or environmental exposure. (From McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed, p708)
restrict to minerals; emphasis is on the filamentous structure; IM GEN or unspecified only; coord NIM with specific mineral or material (IM), as asbestos fibers
See AlsoPneumoconiosis
Other names Fibers, Mineral; Fiber, Mineral; Mineral Fiber
