MEDULLA (medullae)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected form: medullae   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does medulla mean? 

• MEDULLA (noun)
  The noun MEDULLA has 3 senses:

1. a white fatty substance that forms a medullary sheath around the axis cylinder of some nerve fibers

2. lower or hindmost part of the brain; continuous with spinal cord; ('bulb' is an old term for medulla oblongata)

3. the inner part of an organ or structure in plant or animal

  Familiarity information: MEDULLA used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MEDULLA (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A white fatty substance that forms a medullary sheath around the axis cylinder of some nerve fibers

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Synonyms:

medulla; myelin; myeline

Hypernyms ("medulla" is a kind of...):

fat (a soft greasy substance occurring in organic tissue and consisting of a mixture of lipids (mostly triglycerides))

Holonyms ("medulla" is a substance of...):

medullary sheath; myelin sheath (a layer of myelin encasing (and insulating) the axons of medullated nerve fibers)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Lower or hindmost part of the brain; continuous with spinal cord; ('bulb' is an old term for medulla oblongata)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Synonyms:

bulb; medulla; medulla oblongata

Context example:

the medulla oblongata is the most vital part of the brain because it contains centers controlling breathing and heart functioning

Hypernyms ("medulla" is a kind of...):

neural structure (a structure that is part of the nervous system)

Meronyms (parts of "medulla"):

respiratory center (the center in the medulla oblongata and pons that integrates sensory information about the level of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood and determines the signals to be sent to the respiratory muscles)

Holonyms ("medulla" is a part of...):

brain-stem; brain stem; brainstem (the part of the brain continuous with the spinal cord and comprising the medulla oblongata and pons and midbrain and parts of the hypothalamus)

Derivation:

medullary (of or relating to the medulla oblongata)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The inner part of an organ or structure in plant or animal

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Hypernyms ("medulla" is a kind of...):

animal tissue (the tissue in the bodies of animals)

plant tissue (the tissue of a plant)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "medulla"):

adrenal medulla (the medulla of the adrenal gland; secretes epinephrine)

Antonym:

cortex (the tissue forming the outer layer of an organ or structure in plant or animal)

Derivation:

medullary (of or relating to the medulla of any body part)

 Context examples 

It arises from the collecting ducts of the renal medulla, and most authors suggest that this is an aggressive tumor.

(Carcinoma of the Collecting Ducts of Bellini, NCI Thesaurus)

A region of the brain at the junction of the pons, cerebellum, and medulla.

(Cerebellopontine Angle, NCI Thesaurus)

High incidence of tumors of the anterior pituitary, adrenal medulla and adrenal cortex in animals over 18 months old (Snell1965).

(BUF, Rat Strain, NCI Thesaurus)

It consists of the mesencephalon, pons, and medulla oblongata.

(Brain stem, NCI Thesaurus)

A non-metastasizing neoplasm arising from the adrenal medulla.

(Benign Adrenal Medulla Neoplasm, NCI Thesaurus)

Antitussive activity is mediated through codeine's action on the cough center in the medulla.

(Codeine, NCI Thesaurus)

Epinephrine and norepinephrine from the medulla and steroid hormones from the cortex.

(Adrenal Fluid or Secretion, NCI Thesaurus)

Tumors arising from the adrenal gland medulla are called pheochromocytomas.

(Paraganglioma, NCI Thesaurus)

A motor nucleus within the medulla oblongata with axons projecting to the tongue muscles.

(Nucleus of the Hypoglossal Nerve, NCI Thesaurus)

Outside of, or unrelated to, any medulla, especially the medulla oblongata.

(Extramedullary, NCI Thesaurus)