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Glite Dictionary
foramen of Monro

foramen of Monro

9.9
A small passage in the brain that lets fluid move from each side to the middle
  • noun
  • /fəˈreɪmən əv ˈmɒnroʊ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : foramen de Monro
  • Cerebrospinal fluid flows through the foramen of Monro into the third ventricle.

Examples

  • The foramen of Monro allows cerebrospinal fluid to flow between the ventricles.

  • A blockage at the foramen of Monro can lead to increased intracranial pressure.

  • The surgeon located the tumor near the patient's left foramen of Monro.

  • Two foramina of Monro connect the lateral ventricles to the third ventricle.

  • The foramen of Monro is crucial for allowing cerebrospinal fluid to flow between the lateral and third ventricles.

  • Doctors study the foramen of Monro to understand how fluid dynamics affect brain function.

  • An obstruction in the foramen of Monro can lead to serious health issues, such as hydrocephalus.

Synonyms

Monro's foramen
vsforamen of Monro
  • Specialized
9.9

A small opening in the brain that lets spinal fluid flow from the side ventricles to the middle ventricle

is the same but expressed as a possessive eponym
interventricular foramen
vsforamen of Monro
  • Specialized
9.2

A small opening in the brain that lets fluid flow between the side ventricles and the third ventricle

is the same but often called by a descriptive anatomical term

Surface Forms

foramen of Monro singular
foramina of Monro plural

Morphology

foramen + of + Monro

The phrase literally combines 'foramen' (an opening) with a possessive/named element 'of Monro', so a learner who knows the constituents can infer it is an opening associated with Monro. However, the specific anatomical function — that it connects the lateral ventricles to the third ventricle — is specialized domain knowledge not predictable from the parts alone, so full meaning requires prior exposure.

Etymology

Foramen of Monro may come from the Latin word foramen, meaning 'hole', and from a Scottish doctor named Monro who described it. So the name is like 'Monro's little hole', a small opening that connects the brain's side spaces called the lateral ventricles to the middle space called the third ventricle.