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Definition

noun, plural: infundibula

(anatomy) Any of the various funnel-shaped bodily cavities, openings, or organs.

(zoology) A central cavity in the Ctenophora, into which the gastric sac leads; the siphon of Cephalopoda.

Supplement

(anatomy) Examples of infundibular structures:

• The infundibulum (or the stalk) of the pituitary gland
• The infundibulum (or the calyx) of a kidney
• The infundibulum (or the ovarian opening) of a fallopian tube
• The infundibulum (or the alveolar sacs from which the alveoli open) of the lungs
• The infundibulum (or the outflow portion of the right ventricle) of the heart
• The infundibulum (or the pituitary stalk) of the embryonic brain

Word origin: Latin, a funnel, from infundere to pour in or into.

Related forms: infundibular (adjective).
Related terms: enlarged pituitary infundibulum, infundibulum of uterine tube, infundibulum tubae uterinae, choanotaenia infundibulum.