Alveolus

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

Uses in anatomy and zoology

• Pulmonary alveolus, an air sac in the lungs
• Alveolar cell or pneumocyte
• Alveolar duct
• Alveolar macrophage
• Mammary alveolus, 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
• Arteries:
• Superior alveolar artery (disambiguation)
• Anterior superior alveolar arteries
• Posterior superior alveolar artery
• Inferior alveolar artery
• Nerves:
• Anterior superior alveolar nerve
• Middle superior alveolar nerve
• Inferior alveolar nerve

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 such as Boletus or the ascocarps of fungi such as typical ascomycetes
• Pits on the valves of the tests of many diatoms
• Membrane supporting vesicles of the alveolates

Uses in linguistics

• Alveolar consonant, a linguistic vocalization which involves placing one's tongue against the alveolar ridge
• Alveolar stop

See also

• Alveolar soft part sarcoma, a very rare type of soft-tissue sarcoma,
• Acinus, considered by some (but not all) sources to be synonymous with Alveolus

References