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University of Sydney - Anatomy glossary Category: Sciences > Anatomy glossary Date & country: 25/01/2011, AU Words: 1008

nodule
diminutive of Latin nodus = knot, hence, a little knot.

norma
Latin = pattern or rule, or aspect; adjective, normal - according to rule.

notch
an indentation in the margin of a structure. Etymology uncertain.

notochord
Greek notos = back, and chorde = cord; hence, the primitive axial skeleton around which the vertebrae develop, parts persisting in the nuclei pulposi.

nucha
French nuque = nape or back of the neck; adjective - nuchal.

nucleus
Latin = kernel or nut; may refer to the vital centre of a cell body, or to a cluster of neuron cells in the central nervous system; adjective - nuclear.

nystagmus
Greek = drowsiness, to nod, hence, involuntary, rapid, rhythmic eye movements.

obex
Latin = barrier; hence, the coronal fold of ependyma over the lower angle of the 4th ventricle.

oblique
adjective, Latin obliquus; slanting, or deviating from the perpendicular or the horizontal.

oblongata
Latin oblongus = oblong; medulla oblongata.

obturator
Latin obturatus = stopped up; hence, a structure which closes a hole.

occiput
Latin ob = prominent (cf. obvious), and caput = head; hence, the prominent convexity of the back of the head; adjective - occipital.

occlusion
Latin occlusum = closed up; hence, apposition of reciprocal teeth, or the blocking of any tubular structure; adjective - occlusal.

oculomotor
Latin oculus = eye, and movere = to move, hence, pertaining to moving the eye.

oculus
Latin = eye.

odontoid
Greek odous = tooth, and eidos = form, shape, hence, tooth-like.

oesophagus
Greek = gullet (passage from pharynx to stomach); adjective - oesophageal.

olecranon
Greek olene = ulna, and kranion = upper part of head; hence, the upper end of the ulna.

olfactory
adjective, Latin olfacto = smell.

olive
Latin oliva - the oval fruit of the olive tree; oval eminence on medulla oblongata; adjective - olivary.

omentum
Latin = apron; adjective - omental.

omohyoid
Greek omos = shoulder; hence, a muscle attached to the scapula and hyoid.

operculum
Latin = lid or cover; hence, operculum insulae, the cerebral cortex covering and hiding the insula (the 5th lobe of cerebral cortex).

ophthalmic
adjective, Greek ophthalmos = eye.

opponens
Latin = placing against, opposing.

oppose
Latin oppositum = put against; hence, to resist or place in contact with, and opposition - the action of opposing.

optic
adjective, Greek optos = seen; hence, pertaining to sight.

ora
Latin ora = margin or edge.

ora serrata
Latin ora = margin, and serra = saw; hence, the serrated anterior edge of the functional part of the retina.

oral
Latin oris = a mouth, hence, pertaining to the mouth.

orbit
Latin orbis = circle; the name given to the bony socket in which the eyeball rotates; adjective - orbital.

orifice
Latin orificium = opening.

os, oris
Latin os = mouth; plural - ora, adjective - oral.

os, ossis
Latin os = bone; plural - ossa, adjective - osseous.

ossicle
Latin ossiculus, diminutive of os = bone.

ossify
Latin os = bone, and facio = make; hence, to form bone; and ossification, the process of bone formation.

osteology
Greek osteon = bone, and logy = a field of study.

ostium
Latin = a door, an opening, an orifice.

otic
adjective, Greek otos = ear.

otolith
Greek otos = ear, and lithos = stone; hence, calcareous particles in the utricle and saccule of the membranous labyrinth.

ovary
Latin ovum = egg; hence, the organ containing ova (the largest cells in the female).

ovum
Latin = egg, plural - ova.

pachymeninx
Greek pachys = thick, and meninx = membrane; hence, the thick membrane covering the central nervous system, i.e., dura mater.

palaeo
Greek palaios = old; hence, palaeocerebellum, the earliest stage in the evolution of the cerebellum.

palate
Latin palatum = palate, adjective - palatal or palatine.

paleo
Greek palaios = old; hence, paleocerebellum, the earliest stage in the evolution of the cerebellum.

pallidus
adjective, Latin = pale.

pallium
Latin = cloak; hence, the cerebral cortex forming the outer covering of the cerebral hemisphere.

palma
Latin palma = palm; adjective, palmar - Latin palmaris.

palpate
Latin palpare = to touch, and palpatus = touched; hence, to examine by feeling, and palpation, such an examination.

palpebra
Latin = eyelid, probably from palpitare = to flutter.

pampiniform
adjective, Latin pampinus = tendril, and forma = shape.

pancreas
Greek = sweetbread, derived from Greek pan = all, and kreas = flesh; adjective - pancreatic.

panniculus
diminutive of Latin pannus = cloth.

papilla
Latin = nipple or teat; adjective - papillary.

paradidymis
Greek para = beside of near, and didymis = twinned or paired, refers to testes; hence the collection of convoluted tubules in the spermatic cord, above the head of the epididymis.

paraesthesia
Greek para = beside, and aisthesia = sensation; hence, abnormal sensation, usually burning or pricking.

paralysis
Greek para = beside, near, lyein = to loosen; hence loss or impairment of muscle function.

parametrium
Greek para = beside, and metra = womb; hence, connective tissue alongside the body of the uterus, within the broad ligament.

paraplegia
Greek para = beside, and plege = a stroke; hence, paralysis of the lower limbs.

pararenal
adjective, Greek para = beside, Latin ren = kidney; hence, beside the kidney, e.g., pararenal fat, the fatty capsule of the kidney.

parasternal
adjective, Greek para = beside, and sternon = chest; hence, the parasternal line is a vertical line about midway between the sternal edge and the midclavicular line.

parasympathetic
adjective, Greek para = beside, syn = with, and pathos = feeling; hence, the division of the autonomic nervous system complementary to the sympathetic system.

parathyroid
adjective, Greek para = beside, and thyroid; hence, beside the thyroid gland.

parenchyma
Greek para = beside or near, en = in, and chein = to pour; hence a general term to designate the functional elements of an organ, as opposed to the framework or stroma.

paresis
Greek = relaxation, but has come to mean partial paralysis.

parietal
adjective, Latin parietalis, pertaining to paries = wall.

parotid
adjective, Greek para = beside, and otos = of the ear; hence, beside the ear.

parous
adjective, Latin pario = I bear (children); hence, adjective, applied to woman who has borne one or more children (cf. nulliparous, multiparous).

pars
Latin = part.

patella
Latin a small pan; adjective - patellar.

pecten
Latin = comb.

pectinate
adjective, from Latin pecten = a comb; applied to structures having the appearance of parallel teeth arising from a straight back (musculi pectinati), or the sellar appearance of the superior pubic ramus, which may have resembled the body of antique combs.

pectineal
adjective, from Latin pecten = a comb; applied to structures having the appearance of parallel teeth arising from a straight back (musculi pectinati), or the sellar appearance of the superior pubic ramus, which may have resembled the body of antique combs.

pectineus
Latin, pecten = a comb; hence the muscle attaching to the pecten (pectineal line) of the pubic bone.

pectoral
adjective, Latin pectoris = of the front of the chest.

pectoralis
adjective, Latin pectoris = of the front of the chest.

pedicle
diminutive of Latin pedis = of the foot.

pedis
Latin = of the foot.

peduncle
variation of pedicle.

pellucidum
adjective, Latin per = through, and lucere - to shine; hence, translucent.

pelvis
Latin = basin, adjective - pelvic.

penis
Latin = tail, the male organ of copulation (cf. appendix, appendage).

pennate
Latin penna = feather; hence, a muscle whose fibres approach the tendon from one direction is unipennate; from two, bipennate, and from more than two, multipennate.

pennatus
(pinnate) - adjective, Latin penna = feather; hence, a muscle whose fibres approach the tendon from one direction is unipennate; from two, bipennate, and from more than two, multipennate.

perianal
adjective, Greek peri = around, and Latin anus = lower opening of alimentary canal.

pericardium
Greek peri = around, and kardia = heart; hence, the membranes enclosing the heart.

perichondrium
Greek peri = around, and chondros = cartilage; hence, the membrane covering cartilage.

pericranium
Greek peri = around, and kranion = skull; hence, the external periosteum of the skull.

perilymph
Greek peri = around, and lympha - Latin = clear water; hence, the fluid in the bony labyrinth surrounding the membranous labyrinth (and continuous with the cerebrospinal fluid).

perineum
Greek the caudal aspect of the trunk between the thighs, or, the region of the trunk below the pelvic diaphragm; adjective - perineal.

periodontal
adjective, Greek peri = around, and odont = tooth.

periosteum
Greek peri = around, and osteon = bone; hence, the membrane around a bone.

peripheral
adjective, Greek peri = around and phero = carry; hence, away from the centre (cf. periphery).

peristalsis
Greek peri = around, and stellein - to constrict; hence, a circular constriction passing as a wave along a tube; adjective - peristaltic.

peritoneum
Greek periteino = to stretch around; hence, the membrane stretched around the internal surface of the walls and the external aspect of some of the contents of the abdomen; adjective - peritoneal.

peroneal
adjective, Greek perone = clasp, brooch - see fibula.

pes
Latin = foot.

petrosal
adjective, Latin petrosus = rocky.

petrous
adjective, Latin petrosus = rocky.