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Alveolus (; pl. alveoli, adj. alveolar) is a general anatomical term for a concave cavity or pit.


Uses in anatomy and zoology

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Pulmonary alveolus A pulmonary alveolus (plural: alveoli, from Latin ''alveolus'', "little cavity"), also known as an air sac or air space, is one of millions of hollow, distensible cup-shaped cavities in the lungs where oxygen is exchanged for carbon dioxide. Al ...
, an air sac in the lungs **
Alveolar cell A pulmonary alveolus (plural: alveoli, from Latin ''alveolus'', "little cavity"), also known as an air sac or air space, is one of millions of hollow, distensible cup-shaped cavities in the lungs where oxygen is exchanged for carbon dioxide. Al ...
or pneumocyte **
Alveolar duct A pulmonary alveolus (plural: alveoli, from Latin ''alveolus'', "little cavity"), also known as an air sac or air space, is one of millions of hollow, distensible cup-shaped cavities in the lungs where oxygen is exchanged for carbon dioxide. A ...
**
Alveolar macrophage An alveolar macrophage, pulmonary macrophage, (or dust cell) is a type of macrophage, a professional phagocyte, found in the airways and at the level of the alveoli in the lungs, but separated from their walls. Activity of the alveolar macropha ...
*
Mammary alveolus A mammary alveolus (plural: alveoli, from Latin ''alveolus'', "little cavity") is a small cavity or sac found in the mammary gland. Mammary alveoli are the site of milk production and storage in the mammary gland. Mammary alveoli cluster into g ...
, a milk sac in the mammary glands *
Alveolar gland Alveolar glands, also called saccular glands are glands with a saclike secretory portion, in conrast with tubular glands. They typically have an enlarged lumen (cavity), hence the name: they have a shape similar to alveoli, the very small air ...
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Dental alveolus Dental alveoli (singular ''alveolus'') are sockets in the jaws in which the roots of teeth are held in the alveolar process with the periodontal ligament. The lay term for dental alveoli is tooth sockets. A joint that connects the roots of ...
, also known as "tooth socket", a socket in the jaw that holds the roots of teeth **
Alveolar ridge The alveolar process () or alveolar bone is the thickened ridge of bone that contains the tooth sockets on the jaw bones (in humans, the maxilla and the mandible). The structures are covered by gums as part of the oral cavity. The synonymous ...
, the jaw structure that contains the dental alveoli **
Alveolar canals The alveolar canals are apertures in the center of the infratemporal surface of the maxilla The maxilla (plural: ''maxillae'' ) in vertebrates is the upper fixed (not fixed in Neopterygii) bone of the jaw formed from the fusion of two max ...
**
Alveolar process The alveolar process () or alveolar bone is the thickened ridge of bone that contains the tooth sockets on the jaw bones (in humans, the maxilla and the mandible). The structures are covered by gums as part of the oral cavity. The synonymous ...
* Arteries: ** Superior alveolar artery (disambiguation) *** Anterior superior alveolar arteries ***
Posterior superior alveolar artery The posterior superior alveolar artery (posterior dental artery) is given off from the maxillary, frequently in conjunction with the infraorbital artery just as the trunk of the vessel is passing into the pterygopalatine fossa. Branches Descendin ...
**
Inferior alveolar artery The inferior alveolar artery (inferior dental artery) is an artery of the face. It is a branch of the first portion of the maxillary artery. Structure It descends with the inferior alveolar nerve to the mandibular foramen on the medial surface of ...
* Nerves: **
Anterior superior alveolar nerve The anterior superior alveolar nerve (or anterior superior dental nerve), is a branch of the infraorbital nerve, itself a branch of the maxillary nerve (V2). It branches from the infraorbital nerve within the infraorbital canal before the infraorbi ...
** Middle superior alveolar nerve **
Inferior alveolar nerve The inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) (also the inferior dental nerve) is a branch of the mandibular nerve, which is itself the third branch of the trigeminal nerve. The inferior alveolar nerves supply sensation to the lower teeth. Structure The inf ...


Uses in botany, microbiology and related disciplines

* Surface cavities or pits, such as on the stem of Myrmecodia species * Pits on honeycombed surfaces such as receptacles of many angiosperms * Pits on the fruiting bodies of
fungi A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately fr ...
such as ''Boletus'' or the ascocarps of fungi such as typical ascomycetes * Pits on the valves of the tests of many
diatom A diatom ( Neo-Latin ''diatoma''), "a cutting through, a severance", from el, διάτομος, diátomos, "cut in half, divided equally" from el, διατέμνω, diatémno, "to cut in twain". is any member of a large group comprising se ...
s * Membrane supporting vesicles of the
alveolate The alveolates (meaning "pitted like a honeycomb") are a group of protists, considered a major clade and superphylum within Eukarya. They are currently grouped with the stramenopiles and Rhizaria among the protists with tubulocristate mitocho ...
s


Uses in linguistics

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Alveolar consonant Alveolar (; UK also ) consonants are articulated with the tongue against or close to the superior alveolar ridge, which is called that because it contains the alveoli (the sockets) of the upper teeth. Alveolar consonants may be articulated wit ...
, a linguistic vocalization depending upon touching tongue to alveolar ridge *
Alveolar stop In phonetics and phonology, an alveolar stop is a type of consonantal sound, made with the tongue in contact with the alveolar ridge located just behind the teeth (hence alveolar), held tightly enough to block the passage of air (hence a stop co ...


See also

* *{{Wiktionary-inline, alveolar *
Alveolar soft part sarcoma Alveolar soft part sarcoma, abbreviated ASPS, is a very rare type of soft-tissue sarcoma, that grows slowly and whose cell of origin is unknown. ASPS arises mainly in children and young adults and can migrate (metastasize) into other parts of the ...
, a very rare type of soft-tissue sarcoma, *
Acinus An acinus (; plural, acini; adjective, acinar or acinous) refers to any cluster of cells that resembles a many-lobed "berry," such as a raspberry (''acinus'' is Latin for "berry"). The berry-shaped termination of an exocrine gland, where the ...
, considered by some (but not all) sources to be synonymous with Alveolus Human anatomy Animal anatomy