follicle

[fol´ĭ-k'l]

a sac or pouchlike depression or cavity. adj., adj follic´ular.

atretic ovarian follicle an involuted ovarian follicle.

dental follicle the structure within the substance of the jaws enclosing a tooth before its eruption; the dental sac and its contents.

gastric f's lymphoid masses in the gastric mucosa.

graafian follicle see graafian follicle.

hair follicle one of the tubular invaginations of the epidermis enclosing the hairs, and from which the hairs grow.

Diagram of a hair follicle showing layers of hair schematically. From Copstead, 1995.

lymph follicle (lymphatic follicle)

Naboth's f's (nabothian f's) Naboth's cysts.

ovarian follicle the ovum and its encasing cells, at any stage of its development.

primary ovarian follicle an immature ovarian follicle consisting of an immature ovum and the few specialized epithelial cells surrounding it.

primordial ovarian follicle an ovarian follicle consisting of an ovum enclosed by a single layer of cells.

sebaceous follicle a hair follicle with a relatively large sebaceous gland, producing a relatively insignificant hair.

solitary f's

1. areas of concentrated lymphatic tissue in the mucosa of the colon.

2. small lymph follicles scattered throughout the mucosa and submucosa of the small intestine. Called also solitary glands.

thyroid f's discrete cystlike units filled with a colloid substance rich in iodine; they constitute the lobules of the thyroid gland.

vesicular ovarian follicle graafian follicle.

fol·li·cle

(fol'i-kĕl), [TA]

1. A more or less spheric mass of cells usually containing a cavity.

2. A crypt or minute cul-de-sac or lacuna, such as the depression in the skin from which the hair emerges.

Synonym(s): folliculus [TA]

[L. folliculus, a small sac, dim. of follis, a pair of bellows]

(fol'i-kĕl) [TA]

1. A more or less spheric mass of cells usually containing a cavity.

2. A crypt or minute cul-de-sac or lacuna, such as the depression in the skin from which the hair emerges.
Synonym(s): folliculus [TA] .