Operculum may refer to:

Human biology

Operculum (brain) In human brain anatomy, an operculum (Latin, meaning "little lid") (pl. opercula), may refer to the frontal, temporal, or parietal operculum, which together cover the insula as the opercula of insula. It can also refer to the occipital operculu ...

, the part of the brain covering the insula *

Operculum (dentistry) Pericoronitis is inflammation of the soft tissues surrounding the crown of a partially erupted tooth, including the gingiva (gums) and the dental follicle. The soft tissue covering a partially erupted tooth is known as an ''operculum'', an area ...

, a small flap of tissue which may cover an erupting or partially erupted molar *

Cervical mucus plug A cervical mucus plug (operculum) is a plug that fills and seals the cervical canal during pregnancy. It is formed by a small amount of cervical mucus. The mucus plug acts as a protective barrier by deterring the passage of bacteria into the uterus ...

, the cervical mucus plug that blocks the cervix of the uterus after conception

Animal biology

Operculum (animal) An operculum is an anatomical feature, a stiff structure resembling a lid or a small door that opens and closes, and thus controls contact between the outside world and an internal part of an animal. Examples include: * An operculum (gastropod), ...

, a structure resembling a lid or a small door that opens and closes *

Operculum (bird) The beak, bill, or rostrum is an external anatomical structure found mostly in birds, but also in turtles, non-avian dinosaurs and a few mammals. A beak is used for eating, preening, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food ...

, a structure which covers the nares of some birds *

Operculum (bryozoa) In the bryozoan order Cheilostomatida, the operculum is a calcareous or chitinous lid-like structure that protects the opening through which the polypide protrudes. Many species have modified the operculum in specialized zooids (avicularia) to f ...

, a lid on the orifice of some bryozoans *

Operculum (fish) The operculum is a series of bones found in bony fish and chimaeras that serves as a facial support structure and a protective covering for the gills; it is also used for respiration and feeding. Anatomy The opercular series contains four bon ...

, a flap covering the gills of bony fish *

Operculum (gastropod) The operculum (; ) is a corneous or calcareous anatomical structure like a trapdoor that exists in many (but not all) groups of sea snails and freshwater snails, and also in a few groups of land snails; the structure is found in some marine an ...

, a sort of trapdoor used to close the aperture of some snails *

Operculum papillare The operculum papillare is the iris found in the eyes of elasmobranchs (skates, sharks and rays). It can undergo pupillary light reflex The pupillary light reflex (PLR) or photopupillary reflex is a reflex that controls the diameter of the pupi ...

, the iris found in the eyes of elasmobranchs (skates, sharks, and rays) * The anterior end of the puparium in some insects, through which the adult emerges; for example the wasp ''

Stenogastrinae The Stenogastrinae are a subfamily of social wasps included in the family Vespidae. They are sometimes called hover wasps owing to the particular hovering flight of some species. Their morphology and biology present interesting peculiarities. S ...

Botany

Operculum (botany) In botany, an operculum () or calyptra () is a cap-like structure in some flowering plants, mosses, and fungus, fungi. It is a covering, hood or lid, describing a feature in plant morphology. Flowering plants In flowering plants, the operculu ...

, various lids and flaps pertaining to plants, algae, and fungi

Human biology

Animal biology

Botany

See also