''This is a disambiguation page for the biological term. For the 2018 horror movie, see
Antrum (film)''
In
biology
Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...
, antrum is a general term for a cavity or chamber, which may have specific meaning in reference to certain organs or sites in the body.
In
vertebrates
Vertebrates () comprise all animal taxa within the subphylum Vertebrata () (chordates with backbones), including all mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Vertebrates represent the overwhelming majority of the phylum Chordata, with c ...
, it may refer specifically to:
*
Antrum follicularum, the cavity in the epithelium that envelops the oocyte
*
Mastoid antrum
The mastoid antrum (tympanic antrum, antrum mastoideum, Valsalva's antrum) is an air space in the petrous portion of the temporal bone, communicating posteriorly with the mastoid cells and anteriorly with the epitympanic recess of the middle ear vi ...
, a cavity between the middle ear and temporal bone in the skull
* Stomach antrum, either
**
Pyloric antrum
The pylorus ( or ), or pyloric part, connects the stomach to the duodenum. The pylorus is considered as having two parts, the ''pyloric antrum'' (opening to the body of the stomach) and the ''pyloric canal'' (opening to the duodenum). The ''pylori ...
, the lower portion of the stomach. This is what is usually referred to as "antrum" in stomach-related topics{{citation needed, date=November 2019
** or
Antrum cardiacum, a dilation that occurs in the esophagus near the stomach (forestomach)
*
Maxillary antrum or antrum of Highmore, the
maxillary sinus
The pyramid-shaped maxillary sinus (or antrum of Highmore) is the largest of the paranasal sinuses, and drains into the middle meatus of the nose through the osteomeatal complex.Human Anatomy, Jacobs, Elsevier, 2008, page 209-210
Structure
It i ...
, a cavity in the maxilla and the largest of the paranasal sinuses
In
invertebrates
Invertebrates are a paraphyletic group of animals that neither possess nor develop a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''backbone'' or ''spine''), derived from the notochord. This is a grouping including all animals apart from the chordat ...
, it may refer specifically to:
* Antrum of female
lepidoptera genitalia
The study of the genitalia of Lepidoptera is important for Lepidoptera taxonomy in addition to development, anatomy and natural history. The genitalia are complex and provide the basis for species discrimination in most families and also in fam ...
Anatomy