| Library / English Dictionary |
MEDULLA
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
Irregular inflected form: medullae
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
The inner part of an organ or structure in plant or animal
Classified under:
Hypernyms ("medulla" is a kind of...):
animal tissue (the tissue in the bodies of animals)
plant tissue (the tissue of a plant)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "medulla"):
adrenal medulla (the medulla of the adrenal gland; secretes epinephrine)
Antonym:
cortex (the tissue forming the outer layer of an organ or structure in plant or animal)
Derivation:
medullary (of or relating to the medulla of any body part)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Lower or hindmost part of the brain; continuous with spinal cord; ('bulb' is an old term for medulla oblongata)
Example:
the medulla oblongata is the most vital part of the brain because it contains centers controlling breathing and heart functioning
Synonyms:
bulb; medulla; medulla oblongata
Classified under:
Nouns denoting body parts
Hypernyms ("medulla" is a kind of...):
neural structure (a structure that is part of the nervous system)
Meronyms (parts of "medulla"):
respiratory center (the center in the medulla oblongata and pons that integrates sensory information about the level of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood and determines the signals to be sent to the respiratory muscles)
Holonyms ("medulla" is a part of...):
brain-stem; brain stem; brainstem (the part of the brain continuous with the spinal cord and comprising the medulla oblongata and pons and midbrain and parts of the hypothalamus)
Derivation:
medullary (of or relating to the medulla oblongata)
Sense 3
Meaning:
A white fatty substance that forms a medullary sheath around the axis cylinder of some nerve fibers
Synonyms:
Classified under:
Hypernyms ("medulla" is a kind of...):
fat (a soft greasy substance occurring in organic tissue and consisting of a mixture of lipids (mostly triglycerides))
Holonyms ("medulla" is a substance of...):
medullary sheath; myelin sheath (a layer of myelin encasing (and insulating) the axons of medullated nerve fibers)
Context examples:
An area of the brain comprised of the cerebellum, pons and medulla.
(Epencephalon, NCI Thesaurus)
A benign neoplasm of the adrenal gland medulla.
(Benign Adrenal Gland Pheochromocytoma, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)
A brain nucleus located in the medulla oblongata.
(Dorsal Motor Nucleus, NCI Thesaurus)
A benign neoplasm of the adrenal gland medulla, composed of medullary and neuroectodermal components.
(Benign Adrenal Gland Composite Pheochromocytoma, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)
A benign or malignant (primary or metastatic) neoplasm affecting the adrenal medulla.
(Adrenal Medulla Neoplasm, NCI Thesaurus)
The middle portion of the brainstem located between the midbrain and the medulla oblongata.
(Murine Pons, NCI Thesaurus)
A congenital renal disorder characterized by the presence of small cysts in the renal cortex and/or renal medulla.
(Microcystic Renal Disease, NCI Thesaurus)
A neoplasm of the adrenal gland medulla, composed of medullary and neuroectodermal components, for which the malignancy status has not been established.
(Adrenal Gland Composite Pheochromocytoma, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)
It involves the adrenal medulla and the sympathetic nervous system.
(Neuroblastoma of the Adrenal Gland and Sympathetic Nervous System, NCI Thesaurus)
A benign or malignant neoplasm arising from the adrenal medulla.
(Adrenal Gland Composite Pheochromocytoma, NCI Thesaurus)
