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A-band
abb. of anisotropic band G. anisos = unequal + tropos
= turning; meaning having not equal properties in every direction;
transverse bands in living skeletal muscle which rotate the plane
of polarised light, cf. I-band.
Abbé,
Ernst. 1840-1905. German physicist; mathematical analysis of optics
as a basis for constructing better microscopes; devised oil immersion
lens; Abbé condenser.
absorption L.
absorbere = to suck up.
acervulus L.
= sand, gritty; brain sand (cf. psammoma body).
acetylcholine
an ester of choline found in many tissue, synapses & neuromuscular
junctions, where it is a neural transmitter.
acetylcholinesterase
enzyme at motor end-plate responsible for rapid destruction of
acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter.
acidophilic
adj. L. acidus = sour + G. philein = to love; affinity
for an acidic dye, such as eosin staining cytoplasmic proteins.
acinus (-i)
L. = a juicy berry, a grape; applied to small, rounded terminal
secretory units of compound exocrine glands that have a small
lumen (adj. acinar).
acrosome G.
akron = extremity + soma = body; head of spermatozoon.
actin polymer
protein filament found in the intracellular cytoskeleton,
particularly in the thin (I-) bands of striated muscle.
adenohypophysis
G. ade = an acorn + hypophyses = an undergrowth;
anterior lobe of hypophysis (cf. pituitary).
adenoid G. "
+ -oeides = in form of; in the form of a gland, glandular;
the pharyngeal tonsil.
adipocyte L.
adeps = fat (of an animal) + G. kytos = a container;
cells responsible for storage and metabolism of lipids, found
in white fat and brown fat.
adipose adj.
L. adeps = fat + G. osis = a condition of.
adluminal adj.
L. ad = towards + lumen = a hole; adjacent to lumen.
adnexa L. ad
= to + nexus = bound; accessory parts of a structure, e.g.,
the adnexa of the eye.
adrenal L. ad
= to, at + ren = kidney; the suprarenal gland.
adrenergic adj.
L. " + " + G. ergon = work; applied to nerves which release
"noradrenalin" (norepinephrine) at their terminals.
adventitia L.
adventicius = coming from the outside; outermost connective
tissual covering of an organ, e.g., the outer coat of a blood
vessel is its tunica adventitia.
afferent adj.
L. ad = to + ferre = to bear, carry, produce; passing
towards, centripetal, e.g., sensory nerves are afferent nerves
with respect to the brain and spinal cord; afferent arteriole
of the renal glomerulus.
agranulocyte L.
a = without; a white blood cell without large numbers of
cytoplasmic granules but containing some azurophilic granules,
e.g., monocyte, lymphocyte.
albicans adj.
L. = whitish; e.g., corpus albicans (corpora albicantia)
of the ovary.
albuginea adj.
L. albus = white; firm white fibrous tissue, e.g., near
the surface of the testis or ovary (first used to describe aqueous
humour, then sclera, of eye).
Alcian blue
commercial name for dye indicating mucins.
aldehyde fuschin
purple dye for elastin.
alimentary L.
alimentum = nourishment.
alpha cell acidophilic
cell of adenohypophysis; acidophilic cell secreting glucagon of
pancreatic islets of Langerhans
alveolus (-i)
L. = a small hollow, basin or flask (dim. of alveus = a
belly, tub); applied to air-cell in lungs; large terminal secretory
units of some exocrine glands with relatively thin walls (cf.
acinus); tooth socket; adj. alveolar.
amacrine G.
a = without + makros = long; a cell in the inner
nuclear layer of retina without a long (axonal) process.
ameloblast OF.
esmail = enamel + G. blastos = germ; cell giving
rise to tooth enamel.
amitosis G.
a = without + mitos = thread; direct cell division
without appearance of visible chromosomes.
amnion G. Amnion
= nickname for a goddess of childbirth: Eileithyia of Amnisus
(or Amnias), which was the port of the land of Knossos in Crete;
amnion is also Greek for a little lamb; inner of the fetal
membranes forming a thin sac around embryo or fetus, and subsequently
fusing with chorion.
amoeboid G.
amiobe = change + -oeides = form of; having motion
like an amoeba, a protozoon which continually changes its shape;
of the movements of a leucocyte.
amorphous G.
a = not + morphe = form; lacking structural definition.
ampulla L. ampla
= full + bulla = vase; a jar or flask; a local widening
in a tube; duodenal ampulla of Vater, q.v.
amylacea cf.
corpus amylaceum.
anaphase G.
ana = up, back, again + phasis = phase, stage; mitotic
phase where chromatids separate.
anastomosis
G. " + stoma = an opening; natural communication between
two vessels (adj. anastomotic).
androgen G.
andros = man + gennan = to produce; male hormone.
aneuploidy G.
an = without + eu = good + ploos = folded
+ -oeides = shape of; of a cell nucleus with more or less
than the correct diploid number of chromosomes.
angiology G.
angeion = a vessel + logos = study; first used to
describe a surgical procedure for exposing temporal artery; later,
the study of blood vessels.
Angström,
Anders Jonas. 1814-1879. Swedish physicist; unit of measurement;
1 Angström (symbol Å) = 0.1 nanometer.
aniline blue
A. anil, indigo plant; dye for collagen etc.
anisotropic
G. anisos = unequal + tropos = a turning; having
properties that are not the same in all directions; able to change
the plane of polarization of light.
anlage (-n) Ge.
an = on + legen = to lay, place; a primordium; an
incipient structure.
ansa nephronis L.
ansa = bucket handle, sandle loop + nephronis =
of a nephron; hair-pin bend in the straight tubules of a nephron
of the kidney; cf. Henle; also ansa subclavia; ansa hypoglossi.
ansa subclavia L.
= sympathetic nerve loop passing anterior and posterior to subclavian
artery.
antrum (-ra)
L. = a cave, cavity; a nearly-closed cavity or bulge.
anulus (or annulus)
L. = a little ring, dim. L. anus; a finger-ring; the fourth
finger itself.
anulus fibrosus
(anuli fibrosi or annuli fibrosi) L. = little ring
of fibres; lamellae of collagen fibres surrounding nucleus pulposus
of intervertebral disc.
aorta G. aeiro
= I lift up (something), then G. aorter = the strap of
a knapsack hung from the shoulders; a butcher's "pluck" of thoracic
viscera; largest artery of the thorax (the heart being like a
sac, and the aorta, a strap).
apical adj.
L. = apex, tip.
apocrine G.
apo = from, away + krinein = to separate; budding-off
of apical cytoplasm in secretory cells.
aponeurosis
G. " + neuron = tendon, sinew (later, nerve); an expanded
flat connective tissue sheet to which muscle fibres are attached
(Galen, 180)
apoptosis G.
apo = from + ptosis = a falling off (of a leaf);
naturally occurring cell death; adj. apoptotic (second p is silent).
appendix testis
L. ab = from + pendere = to hang + testis
= of the testis; hydatid of Morgagni, q.v.
appendix vermiformis
L. ab = from + pendere = to hang + vermis
= worm + forma = form; a worm-shaped attachment at the
beginning of the large intestine.
appendices epiploicae
L. " + G. epiploon = a net; small pockets of peritoneum
filled with fat attached to the colon; cf. epiploic.
apposition L.
ad = to + ponere = to set, place; placed in contiguity;
juxtaposition.
appositional growth
L. " ; growth on a pre-existing surface; growth at periphery.
APUD amine-precursor
uptake and decarboxylation; class of endocrine cells.
aqueous humour L.
aqua = water + humour = fluid; fluid of low viscosity
in anterior and posterior chambers of eye.
arachnoid adj.
G. arachne = spider + -oeides = form; resembling
a web; first applied to scum on urine; applied to cobweb-like
middle layer of the three meninges of the brain (Amsterdam, 1664).
arachnoid granulations
protrusions of arachnoid into superior sagittal sinus whereby
cerebrospinal fluid can pass into the blood, cf. Pacchionian bodies.
arbor vitae L.
arbor = tree + vitae = of life; cedar tree; the
white matter seen in a median section of the cerebellum.
arbor vitae uteri
cf. palmate folds (of uterine cervical canal).
arborisation
from L. arbor = tree; branching as in a tree.
area cribrosa L.
area = a space + cribrum = a sieve; surface of renal
papilla perforated by papillary ducts of Bellini, q.v.; cf. cribriform.
areola corruption
of L. aureolus = golden; pigmented area around nipple of
breast.
areolar L. areola
= a small open space (dim. of L. area = a space); loose, as in
loose connective tissue.
argentaffin
L. argentum = silver + affinis = associated with;
of cells which can reduce silver from its salts without special
pretreatment; e.g., some entero-endocrine cells producing serotonin.
argyrophilic
G. argyros = silver + philein = to love; of cells
or structures reducing silver from its salts after special pretreatment
with a reducing agent; e.g., reticular fibres.
arrector pili (arrectores
pilorum) L. arrector = raiser + pilus = hair;
autonomically innervated smooth muscles oriented obliquely in
dermis, creating "gooseflesh".
artefact L.
arte = by art + factus = made; inadvertent abnormality
in tissue arising during histological processing; also artifact.
arteriole a
small artery, q.v.
artery G. aer
= air + terein = to keep; hence L. arteria = windpipe;
arteries after death often were seen to be empty of blood, i.e.,
to contain air.
articular L.
articulatus = a little joint (dim. of L. artus =
a joint); of cartilage covering the surface of bones at synovial
joints.
Asselli,
Gaspar. 1581-1626. Pavia anatomist, surgeon; discoverd lacteals
in 1622 during vivisection of a dog.
astrocyte G.
astron = a constellation, a single star + kytos
= hollow vessel (cell); star-shaped neuroglial cell.
atavistic L.
atavus = great grandfather's grandfather, ancestor.
atelectasis
G. a = without + telos = completion, end + ektasis
= expansion; imperfect expansion, collapsed condition of lungs.
atresia G. a
= without + tresis = perforation; refers to a congenital
absence or closure of a normal opening.
atretic follicle
an ovarian follicle that fails to mature and dies.
atrophy G. a
= without + trophe = food; a wasting or reduction in organ
size.
Auerbach, Leopold.
1828-1897. Breslau neuropathologist & anatomist; Auerbach's
nerve plexus in external muscle layer of intestinal wall (1862).
autolysis G.
auto = self + lysis = dissolution; self-digestion
of cells, tissues.
autonomic G.
" + nomos = law; self-controlling part of nervous system.
Avicenna 980-1073.
Arabian physician; celebrated author whose book Al-qanun fi
't-tibb (Canon medicinae) was used in European universities
until about 1650
axis cylinder
neurite (q.v.) or axon (q.v.) of a nerve cell.
axon G. = axis;
neurite or long process of a neurone, usually conducting efferent
nerve signals from the cell body (soma) to the peripheral terminals
of the cell; contains axoplasm.
axon hillock cone-shape
region of the neuronal soma from which the axon arises.
Azure a commercial
name for a type of blue dye.
azurophilic
OF. azur = blue + G. philein = to love; refers to
reddish-purple granules in some leucocytes when stained by Romanowsky
method.
bacterium (-ia)
G. bakterion = a rod.
Baillarger,
Jules Gabriel François. 1806-1890. French neurologist;
striae of Baillarger are two bands of fibres in grey matter of
cerebral cortex running parallel to its surface; cf. Gennari.
Barr, Murray.
1908- ? Canadian anatomist; B. body = intranuclear satellite =
sex-chromatin mass seen in a certain proportion of the cells of
a female.
Bartholin, Thomas.
1616-1680. Danish mathematician and philosopher, doctor in Basel,
anatomist at Cophenhagen; discovered thoracic duct and lymphatic
system in 1653; wrote a textbook of anatomy.
Bartholin, Casper.
1655-1738 (son of Thomas). Philosopher professor, then Deputy
of Finances (civil service) in Copenhagen; Bartholin's mucous
glands of vestibule and labia minora in female reproductive system
(1677).
basal body G.
basis = base; the root of a cilium.
basal lamina
G. basis = base + L. lamina = thin plate; term for
a layer seem in the electron microscope of thick glycocalyx at
base of epithelial cells; a sublayer of the basement membrane.
basement membrane
histological term for extracellular layer at base of epithelium,
seen in the light microscope after use of certain dyes; includes
basal lamina; constitutes the interface between epithelium and
connective tissue.
basilic A.
al-basiliq = vein on inner aspect of arm (G. basilikos
= royal, hence prominent?); vein used for blood-letting.
basket cell a
type of cell partially enclosing another like a basket; e.g.,
stellate myo-epithelial cells enclosing an acinus of a gland;
cerebellar nerve cells whose branches form a basket around the
Purkinje cells.
basophil type
of leucocyte characterised by basophilic cytoplasmic granules.
basophilic G.
basis = base + philein = to love; affinity for a
basic dye, e.g. haematoxylin, gallocyanin, toluidine blue.
Bellini, Lorenzo.
1643-1704. Mathematician, anatomist at Pisa; terminal collecting
tubules of B. in kidney (1662).
Berengarius of Carpi.
1470-1530. Anatomist at Bologna & Pavia; described pineal
gland and sphenoidal air sinuses.
Bernard,
Claude. 1813-1878. Sorbonne physiologist; suggested idea of
internal secretions and established science of endocrinology;
developed concept of constancy of internal environment of body
(milieu interne).
Bertin, Exupère
Joseph. 1712-1781. French anatomist; renal columns of Bertin;
conchae of sphenoid bone.
beta cell basophilic
cell of adenohypohysis; basophilic cell secreting insulin of pancreatic
islets of Langerhans.
Betz, Vladimir
Alexandrovich. 1834-1894. Kiev anatomist; Betz cells are large
pyramidal cells in 5th layer of motor cortex (1874), giving rise
to a small number of fibres in the pyramidal tract.
Bichat, Marie
François Xavier. 1771-1802. Paris anatomist, a founder
of histology; classification of 23 basic tissues; Bichat's tunica
intima; B's internal elastic lamina; B's fat pad in cheek.
bicornuate L.
bis = twice + cornua = horns; uterus with 2 horns
found in many animals, and occasionally in woman.
bicuspid L.
bis = twice + cuspis = a point; of lymphatic valves,
mitral valve, premolar tooth.
Bielschowsky,
Max. 1869-1940. Berlin neurologist; developed staining and
silver impregnation techniques for histological study of nervous
system.
bifurcate L.
bis = twice + furca = fork; divide into two branches.
bile L. bilus
= bile; cf. choledochus.
Billroth,
C.A. Theodor. 1829-1894 Austrian surgeon; B.'s cords = the
components of red pulp occurring between the venous sinuses of
the spleen.
bipolar cell L.
bis = twice + polus = pole; nerve cell with two
processes, one being a neurite (q.v.) and the other, a dendrite
(q.v.). NB. all sensory nerve cells of the embryo are initally
bipolar, becoming pseudounipolar (q.v.) with growth, except for
the vestibulocochlear ganglion cells.
blastema G.
= a sprout; embryonic tissue giving rise to a particular structure;
an anlage, q.v.
body cavity a
coelom, q.v.
body wall the
part of the body which surrounds a coelom, q.v.; paries, q.v.
Boerhaave,
Hermann. 1668-1738. Leiden physician; sweat glands; wrote
famous textbook Istitutiones medicae (1708).
Botallo,
Leonardo. 1530-? Pavia anatomist, surgeon; duct of B. = ductus
arteriosus.
bouton terminal
(boutons terminaux) F. = terminal button or knob; bulb-like
expansion at a synapse of the tip of an axon.
Bowman, William
(Sir). 1816-1892. London physician, anatomist & ophthalmologist;
B's capsule and B.'s space of renal corpuscle (1842); B's elastic
membrane of anterior corneal epithelium (1847).
brain sand acervulus,
q.v.; corpora arenaceum, q.v.; psammoma bodies, q.v.
Broca, Pierre
Paul. 1824-1880. Paris surgeon, pathologist, anthropologist; B's
convolution = area for motor speech is posterior part of inferior
frontal gyrus of left hemisphere (1861).
Brodmann,
Korbinian. 1868-1918. Armenian anatomist; described 52 allegedly
discrete areas of human cerebral cortex by transferring results
of studies in monkey brain to human.
bronchiole L.
bronchiolus = small bronchus; air passage in lung.
bronchus (-i)
G. bronchos = windpipe; later, branches of the trachea.
Brown, Robert.
1773-1858 British Museum botanist; described nucleus of plant
cells; Brownian movement.
Bruch, Karl
Wilhelm Ludwig. 1819-1884. Anatomist at Basle & Giessen; B's
membrane = glassy basement membrane of the retinal (pigment) epithelium
(1844); lymphatic follicles of palpebral conjunctiva.
Brücke,
Ernst Wilhelm von. 1819- 1892 Vienna physiologist
and microscopic anatomist; B.'s muscle = meridional fibres of
ciliary muscle.
Brunn, Albert
von. 1849-1895 German anatomist; B's membrane = the olfactory
epithelium; B.'s cell nests = glandlike invaginations of
epithelium forming cell masses, or cell pearls, in lower urinary
tract.
Brunner, Johann
Konrad. 1653-1727. Professor of Medince at Heidelberg; B's glands
= compound mucus-secreting glands of duodenal submucosa (1687).
brush border
term of light microscopy for taller (coarser) microvilli, e.g.,
on kidney tubule cells; cf. striated border.
buccal L. bucca
= cheek; related to cheek or mouth.
buccinator L.
buccina = trumpet; muscle which prevents the vestibule
of the mouth being distended in trumpet playing.
buffer Mid.
Eng. buffe = to deaden the shock of; applied to a substance
which when added to an acid or a base, preserves the hydrogen
ion concentration.
bulbar L. bulbus
= a swollen root; of eye-ball; of urethra; of olfactory tract;
of aorta; of a hair; of embryonic heart.
Burdach,
Karl Friedrich. 1776-1847. Anatomist at Dorpat, Königsberg
& Breslau; B's column = cuneate fasciculus of spinal cord
(1819).
bursa (-ae)
L. from G. = a leather sac, a purse; a sac associated with tendons
or muscles, containing synovial fluid.
Cajal,
Santiago Ramon y. 1852-1934. Anatomist at Valencia, histologist
at Madrid; shared Nobel Prize in 1906 with Golgi,q.v. for comprehensive
work on the histology of the nervous system using the Golgi impregnation
technique.
calcification L.
calx = lime + facere = to make.
calcitonin calcium
+ L. tonus = a stretching, a strengthening; hormone of
thyroid C-cells which elevates blood calcium levels.
calculus (-i)
L. = a little stone, a peeble (dim. L. calx = stone); applied
to stones that form in gall bladder, kidney, ureter, salivary
glands, pancreas, etc.
calix or calyx
(-ices) G. kalyx = cup; applied to any cup-shaped
structure.
calvaria L.
calvus = bald; the vault of the skull.
Camper, Petrus.
1722-1789 Professor of Medicine, Anatomy, Surgery & Botany
in Gronningen; C.'s fascia = superficial layer of superficial
fascia of skin of abdomen (1801).
canaliculus
(-i) L. = a small channel (L. canalis = a channel, a water-pipe;
dim.L. canna = a reed).
cancellous adj.
L. cancellus = lattice; of spongy bone with numerous interconnecting
cavities.
canine L. canis
= dog; tooth shaped like dog's fang; a unicuspid tooth.
canthus G. canthos
= metal rim on a wooden wheel; later, the rim of the eyelids;
the angle at either end (i.e., nasal = inner, and temporal = outer)
of the slit between the eyelids.
capillary L.
capillus = hair (from L. capitis pilus = hair of
the head); a very narrow ("hair-like") blood vessel.
capillus L.
= a hair (of scalp).
capsule L. capsula
= a little box (dim. L. capsa = a box, from L. capio
= I receive).
cardia G. kardia
= heart; adj. cardiac; as a noun, cardia = entrance to stomach.
cardinal adj.
L. cardo = a hinge; on which something important hinges; cardinal
veins of embryo; cf. duct of Cuvier.
caries L. =
decay; gradual decay of a tooth or bone.
carina L. =
a keel; last ring of trachea has a keel-like projection in the
fork between the bronchi.
carmine a red
dye.
carneae L. carneus
= fleshy; trabeculae carneae, q.v.
carotid G. karoein
= to send to sleep, stupefy; compression of carotid arteries believed
by Aristotle (c. 350 BC) to cause coma.
cartilage L.
cartilago = gristle; adj. cartilaginous (Celsus, c. 10
AD).
caruncle L.
caruncula = small fleshy mass (dim. L. caro = flesh);
a small fleshy elevation of epithelium, e.g., lacrimal caruncle,
q.v.; sublingual caruncle; urethral caruncle; accessory pancreatic
caruncle of Santorini, q.v.
caveola (-ae)
from L. cavus = a hollow; small, pinocytotic depressions
in plasma membrane.
cavernous adj.
L. cavernosus = containing hollow spaces.
cell L. cella
= a small room.
celloidin synthetic
embedding medium.
cementum L.
= rough quarried stone; modified bone between dentine and periodontal
ligament in the root of a tooth.
central artery a
small artery (more often, an arteriole) in the white pulp of the
spleen.
central canal a
small canal in spinal cord filled with cerebrospinal fluid and
lined by ependyma, q.v.
central nervous
system brain and spinal cord; abb. CNS.
central vein smallest
root of hepatic vein, located in centre of an hepatic lobule.
centriole G.
kentron = a sharp point, centre + L. -olus = a dimuntive
ending; minute organelle at cell centre, involved in mitosis.
centro-acinar cell
cell with pale-staining cytoplasm at start of an intercalated
duct in the pancreatic acinus.
centrosome G.
kentron = a sharp point, centre + soma = body; pair
of centrioles in centre zone of a cell soma.
cephalic G.
kephale = head, from A. al-kifal; of vein in arm
from which blood-letting was thought to reduce headache.
cerebellum L.
= little brain (dim. of L. cerebrum = brain); largest part
of hind-brain.
cerebral cortex
L. cerebrum = brain + cortex = rind; the grey
matter of the forebrain.
cerumen L. cera
= wax; sebaceous secretion of ear canal.
cervix (-ices)
L. = the neck (of an organ); e.g., cervix uteri = neck of uterus.
chelation G.
chele = a claw; binding of metal ions by heterocyclic ring
compounds.
chief cells main
cells; of the stomach, those producing pepsinogen, q.v.; of the
parathyroid; those producing parathormone.
cholecystokinin
G. chole = bile + kystis = bladder + kinein,=
to move; gut hormone stimulating movement of bile from gall bladdder,
and exocrine pancreas activity.
choledochus G.
chole = bile + dochos = receptacle; the bile duct
(melancholy = black bile).
chondroblast
G. chondros = cartilage + blastos = germ; immature
cartilage cell.
chondrocyte
G. " + kytos = hollow vessel, monk's cell; mature cartilage
cell.
chorion G. =
skin, leather; outer membrane of the conceptus, forming chorionic
villi (Galen, c. 180 AD).
choroid or choroidea
G. " + -oeides = similar to; skin-like; brown vascular
part of eye coat (like a shell of a peeled grape); part of uvea,
q.v.; Haller's layer.
choroid plexus
G. " + L. plexus = woven; a network of blood vessels derived
from pia mater and covered by ependymal cells, projecting into
ventricles of brain (similar in appearance to the chorion).
chromaffin G.
chroma = colour + L. affinis = with affinity for;
stained with chromium salts; epinephrine-producing cells; para-aortic
bodies of Zuckerkandl.
chromatin G.
chroma = colour; material in cell nucleus staining strongly
with basic dyes.
chromatolysis G.
" + lysis = a lessening; loss of stainable Nissl substance
in injured neuronal somas.
chromatophore
G. " + phorous = bearing; pigment-containing cell.
chromophil G.
" + philein = to love; cells or granules taking up dye
readily.
chromophobe
G. " + phobos = fear; cells or granules not taking up any
dye readily.
chromosome G
" + soma = body; an intensely staining, discrete linear
body containing DNA, etc. in nucleus.
chyle G. chylos
= juice; milk-like contents of lacteals and intestinal lymphatics.
chylomicrons
G. " + mikros = small; small particles of fat in lacteals;
visible in light microscope.
chyme G. chymos
= juice.
ciliary adj.
L. ciliaris = related to eyelash; also to bulbar ciliary
body, q.v.
ciliary body
thickened part of the uvea of the eye at the base of the iris,
consisitng of cilary zonule and ciliary smooth muscle.
ciliary zonule the
suspensory ligament of the lens consisting of multiple fibres
extending from folds of ciliary body to capsule of lens; zonule
of Zinn, q.v.
cilium (-ia)
L. = eyelash; also hair-like projections on epithelial cells.
circumvallate
adj. L. circum = around + vallare = to wall; of
largest lingual papilla, surrounded by a moat-like depression.
cisterna (-ae)
L. = a reservoir, dilated sac; e.g., cisternae of rough endoplasmic
reticulum in muscle cells.
Clarke, Jacob
Augustus Lockhart 1817-1880; London physician; C.'s column = nucleus
dorsalis of grey matter of spinal cord (1851).
Claudius, Friedrich
Matthias. 1822-1869. Kiel anatomist; cells of C. = sustentacular
cells in organ of Corti, q.v.
clavicle L.
clavicula = a little key, dim L. clavis = a
key; from A. alchiab = collar bone (Avicenna, c. 980 AD)
locking shoulder-girdle to body; Roman clavis was also
an S-shaped metal bar used to strike a doorbell or gong.
clearing process
of making tissues transparent through use of chemicals with similar
refractive index as specimens.
clitoris G.
kleio = I close; labia minora enclose clitoris; also G.
kleitorizein = to tickle; G. der Kitzler = the tickler
(clitoris).
cochlea L. from
G. kokhlos = land-snail; cone of inner ear containing organ
of Corti for hearing; described by Fallopius (1552).
coeliac (celiac)
G. koilia = a belly; related to abdominal organs.
coelom G. koilos
= a hollow, belly; an internal sac; the single coelom inside the
embryo gives rise to the pleural, pericardial and peritoneal sacs
of the body lined by mesothelium.
Cohnheim, Julius
Friedrich. 1839-1884 German experimental pathologist; described
amoeboid movement of leucocytes; C.'s fields or areas = polygonal
mosaic-like groups of myofibrils seen in cross-section of a single
skeletal muscle fibre; end artery (q.v.) of C.; also fetal cells,
dormant, persisting in adult organs.
collagen G.
kolla = glue + gennan = to produce; insoluble fibrous
protein component of almost all connective tissue; boiling it
yields gelatine, q.v.
collateral L.
con = together + lateralis = of a side; accessory
or accompanying branch of something; side branch of a neurite
or axon; branch of a blood vessel.
colloid G. kolla
= glue + -oeides = in form of; glutinous; of material
in thyroid follicles, or in pars intermedia of hypophysis.
colon G. kolon
= large intestine, possibly from G. koilos = empty (as
is often state of colon on dissection).
colostrum L.
= thin yellow secretion of mother's breast two to three days after
childbirth; also L. for a term of endearment.
Columbia jar
a small jar for staining sections, cf. Coplin jar.
Columbus, Realdus.
1516-1559 Italian anatomist; studied under Vesalius at Padua;
professor in Rome; discovered pulmonary circulation; described
role of lens correctly (previously lens was thought to function
as the retina does).
complement L.
complere = to complete; enzymatic proteins in serum combining
with antigen-antibody complex.
comitans L.
= accompanying; e.g., venae comitantes = two or more small veins
which often accompany and artery.
conarium L.
conus = a cone; the pineal body, q.v.
concha L. =
shell (of an oyster); formerly, the pinna of the ear and external
auditory meatus; the three small bony projections on the lateral
wall of the nasal cavity.
concretion L.
concretus = solid + crescere = to grow; a calculus.
condenser L.
con = with + densare = to make thick; lens for focussing
light on specimen in a microscope.
cone terminal
part of the dendrite of a sensory neuron in the retina, responsible
for perception of colours.
conjunctiva
L. barbarism from con = with + jungere = to join;
mucous membrane which joins together the eyelid (palpebral) and
the eyeball (bulbar).
Coplin jar staining
jar holding five standard slides.
copula L. =
a link, from L. copulare = to copulate; median elevation
in floor of embryonic pharynx uniting ventral ends of third pharyngeal
arches, cf. His (the elder).
corium L. =
leather, skin; the dermis, consisting of papillary & reticular
components; tanning corium of animals yields leather.
cornea L. corneus
= horn-like; outer layer of anterior segment of eyeball.
corneum L. "
; outer layer of epidermis is the statum corneum.
cornified L.
" ; conversion of squamous epithelial cells to horny material
(see keratin).
corona L. =
crown; coronal plane, a vertical plane dividing body into front
and back (frontal plane).
corona radiata 1.
= radiating fibres of the internal capsule of the brain; 2. =
layer of cells of cumulus oophorus remaining attached to zona
pellucida of ovum after ovulation.
corpora quadrigemina
(cf. corpus) L. = the four-fold bodies (strictly,
the eight-fold bodies, since L. quadri- = four + geminus
= twin, double); four oval masses in roof of midbrain, the upper
two (superior colliculi) being called the nates (= buttocks),
the lower two (inferior colliculi), the testes.
corpus (-ora) L.
= body.
corpus albicans
(corpora albicantia) L. " + albicans = whitish;
a degenerating corpus luteum in ovary.
corpus amylaceum
(corpora amylacea) L. " + amylum = starch; starchy
grains, or having the structure of starch grains with concentric
layers; found in prostate gland (= prostatic concretions).
corpus arenaceum
(corpora arenacea) L. " + arena = sandy (floor of an
arena); a particle of brain sand.
corpus cavernosum
(corpora cavernosa) L. " + caverna = a hollow; penis
has two similar erectile structures, and a third corpus spongiosum,
q.v.
corpus luteum
L. " + luteum = yellow; major endocrine organ which is
the remains of ovarian follicle after ovulation; yellow in ovary
of cow where de Graaf (q.v.) first saw it.
corpus spongiosum
L. " + spongiosa = spongy; erectile tissue surrounding
urethra.
corpuscle L.
corpusculum = little body (dim. of L. corpus).
cortex (-ices)
L. = rind, or bark; outer layer of an organ.
Corti, Alfonso
(Marquis). 1822-1888 Italian, anatomist with no academic post
in Germany, Hyrtl's prosector in Vienna; retired to become a viticulturalist
in Casteggio; organ of C. = spiral organ for sensory transduction
in cochlea (1851); membrane of C. = tectorial membrane, q.v.
coverglass or
coverslip thin disc or rectangle of glass to cover histological
preparation for light microscopy (e.g., Grade 1« is 0.16
- 0.19 mm thick).
Cowper, William.
1666-1709 London surgeon and anatomist. C.'s glands = bulbo-urethral
glands (1697).
cremaster muscle
G. kremaster = a suspender, a hamock; the muscles by
which the testis is suspended (Galen, 180).
crenated adj.
L. crenatus = notched or scalloped; of appearance of a
red blood cell in a hypertonic solution.
cribriform L.
cribrum = sieve + forma = form; c. plate of ethmoid
bone; c. fascia; area cribrosa of renal papilla.
crista ampullaris
L. = crest + ampulla = little jar; sensory component of
semicircular canal.
cryostat G.
kryos = cold + statikos = in equilibrium; refrigerated
device to maintain constant temperature, often with a cryotome
inside for cutting frozen sections.
cryotome G.
" + tome= a cutting; a microtome in a cryostat.
crypt G. kryptos
= hidden.
cumulus oophorus
L. cumulus = a little mound + G. oon = egg + phorus
= bearing; part of the wall of an ovarian follicle surrounding
and carrying the ovum.
cupula L. =
a little tub (or upside down, a little dome; dim L. cupa
= cup); gelatinous mass forming cap over crista ampullaris; a
dome at apex of cochlea duct.
cutaneous from
L. cutis = skin.
cuticle L. cuticula
= a little skin (dim. of L. cutis); e.g., of a nail, of
a tooth, of a hair, capsule of lens of eye.
cutis L. = skin;
cutis anserina (L. anserinus = of a goose) = "goose-flesh".
Cuvier, Georges
Léopold Chrétian Frédéric Dagobert
(Baron de la). 1769-1832 famous French naturalist; President of
Council of State; duct of C. = common cardinal vein from union
of inferior and superior cardinal veins in embryo (1805).
cyst G. kystis
= bladder, sac; hence, cystic duct = duct of gall bladder.
cytochemistry G.
kytos = hollow vessel (cell) + chemeia = chemistry;
application of specific chemical reagents to a histological section,
or to a cell smear, or to an ultrathin section (requiring electron
microscopy), to reveal the cytoplasmic location (topography) of
natural substances; cf. histochemistry.
cytology G.
" + logos = study; study of cells and their organelles,
usually with electron microscope.
cytoplasm G.
kytos = hollow vessel (cell) + plasma = a formed
substance; main component of cell other than nucleus & plasma
membrane.
cytotrophoblast
G. " + trophe = nourishment + blastos = germ; inner
layer of embryonic trophoblast (Langhan's layer).
dartos G. =
skinned, flayed; a tunica surrounding the testes (Rufus, c. 100
AD).
Darwin, Charles
Robert. 1809-1882 Famous English naturalist; D.'s theory of evolution;
D.'s ear = congenital defformity of ear; D.'s tubercle = small
projection from upper part of helix (first noticed by Thomas Woolner,
sculptor, 1825-1892).
Deaver, John.
1855-1931 American surgeon; D.'s windows = fat-free portions
of mesentery framed by vascular arcades adjacent to the attached
margin of the intestine.
decidua basalis
L. deciduus = falling off, from L. decidere = to
fall off; that part of the endometrium invaded by the chorionic
villi; unites with the chorion to form the placenta.
deciduous adj.
L. " ; d. teeth = milk or primary teeth.
deferens L.
= carrying away or down; cf. ductus deferens.
dehiscence L.
dihiscere = to gape (open); a bursting open, as of a Graafian
follicle, a surgical wound, a dying mast cell as it loses its
granules.
Deiters,
Otto Friedrich Karl. 1834-1863 Bonn anatomist & histologist;
D.'s cells = phalangeal cells = outer sustentacular cells in organ
of Corti (1860); D.'s nucleus = lateral vestibular nucleus.
demilune L.
dimidius = half + luna = moon; crescent-shaped cap
of serous cells over mucous alveolus in some salivary glands.
dendraxon G.
dendron = a tree + axon, q.v., obsolete term for the terminal
part of an axon; see telodendron.
dendrite G.
dendron = a tree; a structure with a tree-like pattern;
centripetal (= afferent conducting) process of a nerve cell soma.
dendritic spines
gemmules, q.v.
dens L. = a
tooth; hence dentate = toothed, with a serrated outline; denticulate
ligament of spinal canal.
dentine L. dens
= a tooth; apatite (calcifed tissue) of a tooth surrounding the
pulp cavity, and covered by enamel.
dermis G. derma
= skin; connective tissue bed for the epidermis; corium, q.v.
dermatoglyphics
G. " + glypho = I carve; the impression left by moist
sweat gland secretions on the epidermal ridges of fingers, toes,
etc., which impression can be later revealed by finger-printing
methods.
Descemet, Jean.
1732-1810 Paris anatomist, surgeon & botanist; D.'s membrane
= basement membrane of corneal (posterior) endothelium (1758).
desmosome G.
desmos = a bond, anchor rope + soma = body; intercellular
bridge; patch component (i.e., macula adherens) of terminal bar.
desquamation
shedding of squames, or shedding of cells from any epithelium.
detrusor L.
detrudo = I thrust away; of the smooth muscle of wall of
urinary bladder effecting micturition.
diapedesis G.
dia = through + pedan = to leap; normal passage
of red or white blood cells across an endothelium of a capillary.
diaphysis G.
dia = apart + physis = growth; a gap between teeth;
point of branching of a plant; shaft or mid-region of long bone
between the growing ends.
diarthrosis G.
dia = throughout + arthron = a joint; a perfect
joint; a completely movable joint (Galen).
differentiation
1. embryological process by which different tissues and organs
arise in ontogeny; 2. histological process of distinguishing different
tissual components.
diploid G. diploo
= to repeat (a process); having a (normal) double set of chromosomes
= twice the haploid number (all somatic cells are diploid).
Disse, Joseph.
German anatomist 1852-1912; space of D. in liver, between sinusoidal
endothelium and hepatocytes (perisinusoidal space).
distal L. distare
= to stand apart; away from the centre; opposite to proximal,
q.v.
diverticulum
(-a) L. = a by-road, from L. devertere = to turn aside;
a blind-ended sac or pouch in wall of an organ.
Dobbie, William
Murray. 1828-1915 English physician; D.'s line = Z-band of a striated
muscle.
Dogiel, Alexander
Stanislavovic. 1852-1922 Russian neurologist & histologist;
D.'s corpuscle = encapsulated sensory ending.
DPX a 1939 synthetic
mounting medium of distrene, plasticizer and xylene.
ductule L. ductulus
= a little duct (dim. L. ductus); bile ductules; efferent
ductules; prostatic ductules.
ductus (-us) L.
= passage from L. ducere = to lead; tube lined by epithelium
for exocrine glandular secretions to reach surface.
ductus arteriosus
L = arterial duct; a fetal vessel connecting left pulmonary
artery with descending aorta; Botallo's duct; Arantius's duct.
ductus cochlearis
L. = cochlear duct; scala media of membranous labyrinth.
ductus epididymidis
L. duct of the epididymis; the duct is the main component
of the epididymis, q.v.
ductus deferens
L. = the duct carrying down (sperm to be ejaculated); secretory
duct running from the epididymis to the prostatic urethra (actually
carries sperm upwards!); the vas deferens.
ductus venosus L.
= venous duct; the continuation of the fetal umbilical vein through
the liver to the inferior vena cava.
duodenum L.
duodenarius = containing twelve; first part of small intestine,
12 finger-widths long.
dura mater L.
durus = hard + mater = mother, i.e., a protector;
tough, collagenous membrane enveloping spinal cord & brain
