follicle

follicle
1. A more or less spherical mass of cells usually containing a cavity. 2. A crypt or minute cul-de-sac or lacuna, such as the depression in the skin from which the hair emerges. SYN: folliculus [TA]. [L. folliculus, a small sac, dim. of follis, a pair of bellows]
- aggregated lymphatic follicles of small intestine SYN: aggregated lymphoid nodules of small intestine, under nodule.
- aggregated lymphatic follicles of vermiform appendix SYN: aggregated lymphoid nodules, under nodule.
- anovular ovarian f. a f. that does not contain an ovum.
- antral f. SYN: vesicular ovarian f..
- atretic ovarian f. a f. that degenerates before coming to maturity; great numbers of such atretic follicles occur in the ovary before puberty; in the sexually mature woman, several are formed each month. SYN: corpus atreticum.
- dental f. the dental sac with its enclosed odontogenic organ and developing tooth.
- gastric follicles SYN: gastric glands, under gland.
- graafian f. SYN: vesicular ovarian f..
- growing ovarian f. a f. having several layers of proliferating follicular cells surrounding the ovum, but separated from it by an extracellular glycoprotein layer (zona pellucida).
- hair f. [TA] a tubelike invagination of the epidermis from which the hair shaft develops and into which the sebaceous glands open; the f. is lined by a cellular inner and outer root sheath of epidermal origin and is invested with a fibrous sheath derived from the dermis. SYN: folliculus pili [TA].
- intestinal follicles SYN: intestinal glands, under gland.
- Lieberkühn follicles SYN: intestinal glands, under gland.
- lingual follicles SYN: folliculi linguales, under folliculus.
- luteinized unruptured f. a f. that has undergone luteinization without prior rupture; once thought to cause infertility but now believed to occur equally often in fertile and infertile women.
- lymphatic follicles of larynx SYN: laryngeal lymphoid nodules, under nodule.
- lymphatic follicles of rectum SYN: folliculi lymphatici recti, under folliculus.
- mature ovarian f. a f. ready for ovulation; in the human ovary its antrum attains a diameter of 6–8 mm and presents a surface bulge; a first maturation (meiotic) division of the ovum usually occurs just prior to the rupture of the f..
- Montgomery follicles SYN: areolar glands, under gland.
- multilaminar primary f. a primary ovarian f. with two or more layers of cuboidal follicular cells investing the oocyte.
- nabothian f. SYN: nabothian cyst.
- ovarian f. one of the spheroidal cell aggregations in the ovary containing an ovum.
- polyovular ovarian f. a f. containing more than one ovum.
- primary ovarian f. an ovarian f. before the appearance of an antrum; marked by developmental changes in the oocyte and follicular cells so that the latter form one or more layers of cuboidal or columnar cells; the f. becomes surrounded by a sheath of stroma, the theca. SYN: folliculus ovaricus primarius.
- primordial ovarian f. a f. in which the primordial oocyte is surrounded by a single layer of flattened follicular cells.
- sebaceous follicles SYN: sebaceous glands, under gland.
- secondary ovarian f. SYN: vesicular ovarian f..
- solitary follicles SYN: solitary lymphatic nodules, under nodule.
- solitary lymphatic follicles SYN: solitary lymphatic nodules, under nodule.
- splenic lymph follicles small nodular masses of lymphoid tissue attached to the sides of the smaller arterial branches. SYN: folliculi lymphatici lienales, malpighian bodies, malpighian corpuscles (2), malpighian glands, malpighian nodules, splenic corpuscles, splenic lymph nodules.
- follicles of thyroid gland SYN: folliculi glandulae thyroideae, under folliculus.
- unilaminar primary f. a primary ovarian f. with a single layer of cuboidal follicular cells investing the oocyte.
- vesicular ovarian f. a f. in which the oocyte attains its full size and is surrounded by an extracellular glycoprotein layer (zona pellucida) that separates it from a peripheral layer of follicular cells permeated by one or more fluid-filled antra; the theca of the f. develops into internal and external layers. SYN: antral f., folliculus ovaricus vesiculosus, graafian f., secondary ovarian f., vesicular f..

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fol·li·cle 'fäl-i-kəl n
1) a small anatomical cavity or deep narrow-mouthed depression esp a small simple or slightly branched gland: CRYPT
2) a small lymph node
3) a vesicle in the mammalian ovary that contains a developing egg surrounded by a covering of cells: OVARIAN FOLLICLE esp GRAAFIAN FOLLICLE
fol·lic·u·lar fə-'lik-yə-lər, fä- adj

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n.
1. (in anatomy) a small secretory cavity, sac, or gland, such as any of the cavities in the ovary in which the ova are formed. See also Graafian follicle, hair follicle.
2. (in ophthalmology) any of the smooth translucent elevations of the conjunctiva produced by an immune response. They are usually associated with viral inflammation.
• follicular adj.

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fol·li·cle (folґĭ-kəl) 1. a sac or pouchlike depression or cavity; see also folliculus. 2. lymphoid nodule.

Medical dictionary. 2011.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Follicle — may refer to: *Follicle (anatomy), a small spherical group of cells containing a cavity: ** Dental follicle ** Hair follicle ** Lymph follicle ** Ovarian follicle ** Thyroid follicle *Follicle (fruit) …   Wikipedia

  • Follicle — Fol li*cle, n. [L. folliculus a small bag, husk, pod, dim of follis bellows, an inflated ball, a leathern money bag, perh. akin to E. bellows: cf. F. follicule. Cf. 2d {Fool}.] 1. (Bot.) A simple podlike pericarp which contains several seeds and… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • follicle — [fäl′i kəl] n. [ModL folliculus < L, a small bag, husk, pod, dim. of follis, bellows < IE base * bhel , to blow up, swell > BALL1, BULL1] 1. Anat. a) any small sac, cavity, or gland for excretion or secretion [a hair follicle] b) …   English World dictionary

  • follicle — (n.) early 15c., from Fr. follicule or directly from L. folliculus little bag, dim. of follis bellows, inflated ball, from PIE *bhol n , suffixed form of root *bhel (2) to blow, swell (see BOLE (Cf. bole)) …   Etymology dictionary

  • follicle — ► NOUN ▪ a small glandular cavity or pouch, especially that in which the root of a hair develops. DERIVATIVES follicular adjective. ORIGIN Latin folliculus little bag …   English terms dictionary

  • follicle — Generally a small sac or vesicle. Bot. A kind of fruit formed from a single carpel, that splits to release its seeds. Zool. Its use includes: hair follicle, an invagination of the epidermis into the dermis surrounding the hair root; ovarian… …   Dictionary of molecular biology

  • follicle — n. 1) (in anatomy) a small secretory cavity, sac, or gland, such as any of the cavities in the ovary in which the ova are formed. See also: Graafian follicle, hair follicle 2) (in ophthalmology) any of the smooth translucent elevations of the… …   The new mediacal dictionary

  • follicle — UK [ˈfɒlɪk(ə)l] / US [ˈfɑlɪk(ə)l] noun [countable] Word forms follicle : singular follicle plural follicles medical a very small hole in your skin that contains the root of a hair …   English dictionary

  • follicle —   n. small deep cavity or sac.    ♦ follicular, a.    ♦ folliculate, a. having or enclosed in follicle.    ♦ folliculose,    ♦ folliculous, a. like follicle …   Dictionary of difficult words

  • follicle — An enclosing cluster of cells that protects and nourishes a cell or structure within. Thus a follicle in the ovary contains a developing egg cell, while a hair follicle envelops the root of hair …   Glossary of Biotechnology

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