hilum
/'hailəm/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun (Botany):
- A small scar or mark on a seed, indicating the point where it was formerly attached to the seed stalk (funicle) or to the ovary wall.
Noun (Anatomy):
- A depression or opening in an organ where blood vessels, nerves, lymphatic vessels, or ducts enter or leave. This area serves as a point of entry and exit for these structures.
Usage Examples
Noun (Botany):
- The hilum of a bean seed is often a distinct, oval-shaped mark on its surface.
- Botanists study the hilum to understand seed development and attachment.
Noun (Anatomy):
- The renal vessels and ureter connect to the kidney at its hilum.
- The surgeon carefully avoided the hepatic hilum during the procedure.
Advanced Usage
- "Hilar" (Adjective): Pertaining to or located near a hilum.
- The hilar lymph nodes were examined for signs of disease.
- In medical imaging, the term is often used to describe the appearance of this region.
- The chest X-ray showed prominent hilar markings.
Variants and Related Words
- Hilus: A direct synonym, often used interchangeably with "hilum," especially in anatomy.
- The hilus of the lung is a common site for lymph node enlargement.
Synonyms
- Scar (specifically for the botanical sense).
- Fissure, depression, portal (for the anatomical sense, describing the opening or area).
Notes on Meaning
- The meaning is highly specialized and context-dependent. It is primarily used in scientific fields (botany, anatomy, medicine). The botanical meaning refers to a mark on a seed, while the anatomical meaning refers to an entry/exit point on an organ.
Noun
- the scar on certain seeds marking its point of attachment to the funicle
- (anatomy) a depression or fissure where vessels or nerves or ducts enter a bodily organ
- the hilus of the kidney