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

Uses in anatomy and zoology

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 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. Al ...

** Alveolar macrophage *

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 * Dental alveolus, also known as "tooth socket", a socket in the jaw that holds the roots of teeth ** Alveolar ridge, the jaw structure that contains the dental alveoli ** Alveolar canals **

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 ter ...

* Arteries: **

Superior alveolar artery (disambiguation) The superior alveolar artery may refer to: * The posterior superior alveolar artery, a branch of the maxillary artery that serves the upper teeth and other related structures * The anterior superior alveolar arteries, branches of the infraorbital a ...

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Anterior superior alveolar arteries The anterior superior alveolar arteries originate from the infraorbital artery; they supply the upper incisors and canines; they also supply the mucous membrane of the maxillary sinus. See also * Anterior superior alveolar nerve * Posterior sup ...

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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 Descendi ...

** Inferior alveolar artery * 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 The middle superior alveolar nerve is a nerve that drops from the infraorbital portion of the maxillary nerve to supply the sinus mucosa, the roots of the maxillary premolars, and the mesiobuccal root of the first maxillary molar. It is not al ...

** Inferior alveolar nerve

Uses in botany, microbiology and related disciplines

* Surface cavities or pits, such as on the stem of

Myrmecodia ''Myrmecodia'' is a genus of epiphytic myrmecophytes (mər′mek•ə‚fīt; literally "ant-plant"), native to Southeast Asia, but also present in Indochina, Malaysia, the Southwest Pacific, the Philippines, Fiji, and extending south to Queensl ...

species * Pits on honeycombed surfaces such as receptacles of many angiosperms * Pits on the fruiting bodies of fungi 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 sev ...

s * Membrane supporting vesicles of the alveolates

Uses in linguistics

* Alveolar consonant, a linguistic vocalization depending upon touching tongue to alveolar ridge * Alveolar stop