lacuna
(redirected from lacunary)Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Legal, Encyclopedia.
lacuna
[lah-ku´nah] (L.)1. a small pit or hollow cavity.
2. a defect or gap, as in the field of vision (scotoma). adj., adj lacu´nar.
absorption lacuna resorption lacuna.
bone lacuna a small cavity within the bone matrix, containing an osteocyte, and from which slender canaliculi radiate and penetrate the adjacent lamellae to anastomose with the canaliculi of neighboring lacunae, thus forming a system of cavities interconnected by minute canals.
cartilage lacuna any of the small cavities within the cartilage matrix, containing a chondrocyte.
Howship's lacuna resorption lacuna.
intervillous lacuna one of the spaces of the placenta occupied by maternal blood, into which the fetal villi project.
osseous lacuna bone lacuna.
lacuna pharyn´gis a depression of the pharyngeal end of the eustachian tube.
resorption lacuna a pit or concavity found in bones undergoing resorption, frequently containing osteoclasts. Similar lacunae also may be found in eroding surfaces of cementum.
la·cu·na
, pl.la·cu·nae
(lă-kū'nă, -kū'nē),1. A small space, cavity, or depression.
2. A gap or defect.
3. An abnormal space between strata or between the cellular elements of the epidermis.
4. Synonym(s): corneal space
[L. a pit, dim. of lacus, a hollow, a lake]
lacuna
/la·cu·na/ (lah-ku´nah) pl. lacu´nae [L.]1. a small pit or hollow cavity.
2. a defect or gap, as in the field of vision (scotoma).lacu´nar
absorption lacuna resorption l.
bone lacuna a small cavity within the bone matrix, containing an osteocyte; from it slender canaliculi radiate and penetrate the adjacent lamellae to anastomose with the canaliculi of neighboring lacunae, thus forming a system of cavities interconnected by minute canals.
cartilage lacuna any of the small cavities within the cartilage matrix, containing a chondrocyte.
Howship's lacuna resorption l.
intervillous lacuna one of the blood spaces of the placenta in which the fetal villi are found.
lateral lacunae venous meshworks within the dura mater on either side of the superior sagittal sinus.
osseous lacuna bone l.
lacuna pharyn´gis a depression at the pharyngeal end of the eustachian tube.
resorption lacuna a pit or groove in developing bone that is undergoing resorption; frequently found to contain osteoclasts.
trophoblastic lacuna intervillous l.
lacuna
(lə-kyo͞o′nə, -ko͞o′-)n. pl. lacu·nae (-nē) or lacu·nas
Anatomy A cavity, space, or depression, especially in a bone, containing cartilage or bone cells.
la·cu′nal adj.
lacuna
[ləkyo̅o̅′nə] pl. lacunae
Etymology: L, pit
1 a hollow within a structure, especially bony tissue, in which lie osteoblasts.
2 a gap, as in the field of vision.
Medspeak A small pit, cavity, defect or gap
la·cu·na
, pl. lacunae (lă-kū'nă, -nē)1. [TA] A small space, cavity, or depression.
2. A gap or defect.
3. An abnormal space between strata or between the cellular elements of the epidermis.
4. Synonym(s): corneal space.
lacuna
Any empty space, missing part, cavity or depression.lacuna
a cavity or depression, for example, one of many small spaces between the lamellae of bones that is occupied by individual bone cells. Small canals (canaliculi) radiate from the lacunae and in these are small protoplasmic processes which connect with the osteoblasts in other lacunae. see HAVERSIAN CANAL.la·cu·na
, pl. lacunae (lă-kū'nă, -nē)1. [TA] Small space, cavity, or depression.
2. Gap or defect.
3. Abnormal space between strata or between the cellular elements of the epidermis.
lacuna (ləkoo´nə),
n a term used in anatomic nomenclature to designate a small hollow cavity or pit.
lacuna, absorption (Howship's lacuna),
n an area (pit) of bone resorption, usually irregular in outline, and often containing osteoclasts.
lacuna, osteocyte,
n a hollow cavity within bone, containing osteocytes, from which canaliculi, containing protoplasmic processes of the osteocytes, radiate.
lacuna
pl. lacunae [L.]
1. a small pit or hollow cavity.
2. a defect or gap, as in the field of vision (scotoma).
absorption lacuna
a pit or groove in developing bone that is undergoing resorption; frequently found to contain osteoclasts.
bone lacuna
a small cavity within the bone matrix, containing an osteocyte, and from which slender canaliculi radiate and penetrate the adjacent lamellae to anastomose with the canaliculi of neighboring lacunae, thus forming a system of cavities interconnected by minute canals.
cartilage lacuna
any of the small cavities within the cartilage matrix, containing a chondrocyte.
Howship's lacuna
the concave cavities which are formed by osteoclasts in the process of bone resorption.
osseous lacuna
bone lacuna (see above).
osteocytic lacuna
see bone lacuna (above).
urethral lacuna
numerous small depressions or pits in the mucous membrane of the urethra.
vascular lacuna
a breach in any membrane or other tissue which is navigated by blood vessels.