A frenulum (or frenum, plural: frenula or frena, from the Latin ''frēnulum'', "little bridle", the

diminutive A diminutive is a root word that has been modified to convey a slighter degree of its root meaning, either to convey the smallness of the object or quality named, or to convey a sense of intimacy or endearment. A (abbreviated ) is a word-formati ...

of ''frēnum''Article title
/ref>) is a small fold of tissue that secures the motion of a mobile organ in the

body Body may refer to: In science * Physical body, an object in physics that represents a large amount, has mass or takes up space * Body (biology), the physical material of an organism * Body plan, the physical features shared by a group of anima ...

In human anatomy

Frenula on the human body include several in the

mouth In animal anatomy, the mouth, also known as the oral cavity, or in Latin cavum oris, is the opening through which many animals take in food and issue vocal sounds. It is also the cavity lying at the upper end of the alimentary canal, bounded on ...

, some in the

digestive tract The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The GI tract contains all the major organs of the digestive system, in humans a ...

, and some connected to the

external genitalia A sex organ (or reproductive organ) is any part of an animal or plant that is involved in sexual reproduction. The reproductive organs together constitute the reproductive system. In animals, the testis in the male, and the ovary in the female, a ...

. *Brain: '' Frenulum of superior medullary velum'' or ''frenulum veli'' *Digestive tract: ''frenulum valvae ileocaecalis'' *Oral tissue: Frenula of the

include the ''

frenulum linguae The frenulum of tongue or tongue web (also lingual frenulum or frenulum linguæ; also fraenulum) is a small fold of mucous membrane extending from the floor of the mouth to the midline of the underside of the tongue. Development The tongue start ...

'' under the

tongue The tongue is a muscular organ (anatomy), organ in the mouth of a typical tetrapod. It manipulates food for mastication and swallowing as part of the digestive system, digestive process, and is the primary organ of taste. The tongue's upper surfa ...

, the ''

frenulum labii superioris The lips are the visible body part at the mouth of many animals, including humans. Lips are soft, movable, and serve as the opening for food intake and in the articulation of sound and speech. Human lips are a tactile sensory organ, and can be ...

'' inside the upper lip, the ''

frenulum labii inferioris The inferior labial frenulum, or ''frenulum labii inferioris'' (Latin, meaning "little bridle of the lower lip"). is the frenulum connecting the lower gums with the lower lip. Function The inferior labial frenulum, alongside the superior labia ...

'' inside the lower lip, and the

buccal frena Buccal may refer to: * Buccal, or buccal cavity, an oral body cavity (mouth), particularly the cheek cavity ** Buccal administration ** Buccal space, in the mouth * Buccal artery * Buccal branch of the facial nerve * Buccal nerve The buccal ner ...

which connect the cheeks to the gum. These can easily be torn by violent blows to the face or mouth, thus a torn frenulum is sometimes a warning sign of

physical abuse Physical abuse is any intentional act causing injury or trauma to another person or animal by way of bodily contact. In most cases, children are the victims of physical abuse, but adults can also be victims, as in cases of domestic violence or wo ...

. *Penile tissue: The word ''frenulum'' on its own is often used for the

frenulum of prepuce of penis The frenulum of prepuce of penis, often known simply as the frenulum, is a highly erogenous elastic band of tissue under the glans penis that connects the foreskin to the vernal mucosa, and helps contract the foreskin over the glans. Along with th ...

or ''frenulum preputii penis'', which is an elastic band of tissue under the

glans penis In male human anatomy, the glans penis, commonly referred to as the glans, is the bulbous structure at the distal end of the human penis that is the human male's most sensitive erogenous zone and their primary anatomical source of sexual p ...

that connects to the

prepuce Prepuce , or as an adjective, preputial , refers to two homologous structures of male and female genitals: *Clitoral hood, skin surrounding and protecting the head of the clitoris *Foreskin, skin surrounding and protecting the head of the penis in ...

(

foreskin In male human anatomy, the foreskin, also known as the prepuce, is the double-layered fold of skin, mucosal and muscular tissue at the distal end of the human penis that covers the glans and the urinary meatus. The foreskin is attached to the g ...

) to the vernal mucosa, and helps contract the prepuce over the glans. *Vulvular tissue: In females, genital frenula include the ''

frenulum clitoridis The clitoris ( or ) is a female sex organ present in mammals, ostriches and a limited number of #Other animals, other animals. In humans, the visible portion – the glans – is at the front junction of the labia minora (inner lips), ...

'' of the

clitoris The clitoris ( or ) is a female sex organ present in mammals, ostriches and a limited number of other animals. In humans, the visible portion – the glans – is at the front junction of the labia minora (inner lips), above the ope ...

and the ''

frenulum labiorum pudendi The frenulum of labia minora (''fourchette'' or ''posterior commissure of the labia minora'') is a frenulum where the labia minora meet posteriorly. Pathology The fourchette may be torn during delivery due to the sudden stretching of the vulval ...

'' (''fourchette'') where the

labia minora The labia minora (Latin for 'smaller lips', singular: ''labium minus'', 'smaller lip'), also known as the inner labia, inner lips, vaginal lips or nymphae are two flaps of skin on either side of the human vaginal opening in the vulva, situated be ...

meet at the back. An overly short oral or genital frenulum may require a

frenulectomy A frenectomy is the removal of a frenulum, a small fold of tissue that prevents an organ in the body from moving too far. It can refer to frenula in several places on the human body. It is related to frenuloplasty, a surgical alteration in a f ...

frenuloplasty Frenuloplasty is the surgical alteration of a frenulum when its presence restricts range of motion between interconnected tissues. Two of the common sites for a frenuloplasty are: * Frenuloplasty of tongue * Frenuloplasty of prepuce of penis A ...

to achieve normal mobility.

In insects

The word frenulum also refers to a

bristle A bristle is a stiff hair or feather (natural or artificial), either on an animal, such as a pig, a plant, or on a tool such as a brush or broom. Synthetic types Synthetic materials such as nylon are also used to make bristles in items such as ...

present at the root of the hindwing of most

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...

s which engages with a small hook or tuft on the forewing (the

retinaculum A retinaculum (plural ''retinacula'') is a band of thickened deep fascia around tendons that holds them in place. It is not part of any muscle. Its function is mostly to stabilize a tendon. The term retinaculum is New Latin, derived from the Latin ...

) to join the wings together.

References

External links

* {{Wiktionary-inline Tissues (biology) Insect anatomy

In human anatomy

In insects

See also

Piercings

References

External links