infundibulum
9.9
A funnel-shaped body part that joins one area to another, for example the stalk between the hypothalamus and pituitary
- noun
- /ˌɪn.fʌnˈdɪb.jə.ləm/
- Specialized
:
infundíbulo
- The doctor explained that the infundibulum is essential for linking the brain and the endocrine system.
Examples
-
He melts her frigid infundibulum with warm waters.
Fiction book (1990) -
The infundibulum connects the hypothalamus to the pituitary gland.
-
In anatomy classes, we study the role of the infundibulum in hormone regulation.
Synonyms
9.9
A thin tube connecting the pituitary gland under the brain to the hypothalamus above it
is the same structure but uses an alternate anatomical name
How Funnel-Shaped
Surface Forms
infundibulum singular
infundibula plural
Etymology
The word infundibulum comes from Latin parts in- 'into' and fundere 'to pour', and it originally meant a small 'funnel', like the English word funnel. So an infundibulum in the body is a funnel-shaped passage that guides fluids or connections, which is why the fallopian tube opening and the stalk between the hypothalamus and pituitary are called that.