Histology Glossary - L

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A Glossary of Histological and Micro-Anatomical Terms

 Histology Glossary: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
Including historical origins and eponyms compiled by Dr Brian Freeman, Department of Anatomy, School of Medical Sciences, revised 2000.
ANAT2241 Support | Histology | Histology Stains | Historic Terminology | Embryology Glossary


Abbreviations: ( ) plural form in brackets, A. Arabic, abb. abbreviation, c. circa =about, F. French adj. adjective, G. Greek, Ge. German, cf. compare, L. Latin, dim. diminutive, NA. Nomina anatomica, q.v. which see, OF. Old French



labial adj. L. labialis = of the lips, L. labium = lip, rim of a vessel.


labyrinth G. labyrinthos = maze; canals (bony labyrinth - Fallopius, c. 1550) and ducts (membranous labyrinth) of inner ear; renal labyrinth = mass of convoluted tubules of the kidney cortex; hepatic labyrinth = all sinusoidal spaces in liver.


lacis cells polkissen cells, q.v.


lacrimal adj. L. lacrima = a tear-drop.


lacrimal caruncle caruncle found on the conjunctiva of the inner canthus of the eye.


lacteal L. lac = milk ( lacteus = of milk, lactare = to suckle); intestinal lymphatic, containing chyle after a fatty meal.


lactiferous L. " + ferre = to carry.


lacuna (-ae) L. = a pit, a small hollow space, a dimple, dim L. lacus = lake.


lagena L. lagynos = a flask; closed apex of cochlear duct.


lamella (-ae) L. = a little plate, a scale, dim. L. lamina .


lamellar bone secondary bone; of collagen & osteocytes arranged into Haversian systems & interstitial laminae.


lamina (-ae) L. = plate or layer; hence adj. laminated.


lamina propria (-ae -ae) L. " + propria = belonging to; layer of connective tissue under epithelium.


Langer, Carl Ritter von Edenberg. 1819-1887 Vienna anatomist; L.'s lines = natural cleavage lines of skin due to pattern of fibres in dermis (1862).


Langerhans, Paul. 1847-1888 Freiburg anatomist & pathologist; islets of L. = endocrine tissue in pancreas (1869); L. cell = a cell type of epidermis.


Langhans, Theodor. 1839-1915 German anatomist & pathologist; L. layer = cytotrophoblast layer of chorionic villi.


Lanterman, A. J. (no dates) American anatomist at Strasbourg; clefts of Schmidt-Lanterman = oblique clefts in myelin sheath (1877); internodes of L.; cf. Schmidt.


lanugo L. = down (from L. lana = wool); downy hair of body, especially cheeks; hair of fetus from fifth month of development.


Leeuwenhoek, Antony van. 1632-1723 Dutch draper, civil servant & amateur microscopist; perfected the simple microscope with a single glass bead as a lens; described accurately the form of spermatozoa; described striations in skeletal muscle, bacteria, dental canals, bony canals, optic nerve fascicles, etc.; L.'s canals = Haversian canals (Havers, q.v.).


Leishman, William B. 1865-1926 British medical officer; L.'s stain for parasites, and blood films.


lens L. = a lentil; referring to shape of crystalline structure in the eye.


leptomeniges (pl.) G. leptos = thin + menix = a membrane; pia mater & arachnoid taken together (opposite to pachymenix, q.v.)


leucocyte G. leukos = white + kytos = hollow vessel; white blood cell (also leukocyte).


leucopoiesis G. " + poiein = to make; production of white blood cells.


Leydig, Franz von. 1821-1908 Würzburg, Bonn histologist; a founder of comparative histology; L. cells = interstitial cells of testis.


Lieberkühn, Johann Nathanael. 1711-1756 Berlin anatomist & physician; crypts of L. = simple tubular intestinal glands (1745).


lien L. = the spleen (? from G. leios = soft, smooth).


ligamentum nuchae L. ligamen = a bandage + -mentum = a suffix denoting an instrument of the action + corruption of A. nukha = upper end of spinal cord (medulla oblongata), later the neck itself; the dense elastic ligament found in neck of grazing animals, e.g., cattle.


limbus L. = border, edge; e.g., limbus of the cornea at its junction with sclera; spiral limbus, q.v.


limen L. = threshold, a still; limen insulae = medial part of apex of insula; limen nasi = ridge marking entrance to nasal cavity.


lingual adj. L. lingua = tongue.


lipofuscin G. lipos = fat + L. fuscus = brown; yellow-brown intracellular pigment accumulating in old muscle cells & neurons.


liquor folliculi L. = fluid of a follicle (ovarian).


Lissauer, Heinrich. 1861-1891 Breslau physician; L.'s tract = marginal zone of dorsal horn of spinal cord.


Littré, Alexis. 1658-1726 Paris anatomist & surgeon; glands of L. = mucous glands in penile urethra (1700).


lobule L. lobulus = a small lobe, dim. L. lobus = lobe, from G. lobos .


locule L. loculus = a small place; dim. of L. locus ; a cavity or chamber; used to describe unilocular & multilocular adipocytes.


locus cinereus L. locus = a place + cinereus = grey; a pigmented area in superior part of floor of 4th ventricle; also called locus coeruleus (L. coeruleus = dark blue).


Lower, Richard. 1631-1691 London physician; experimeted with blood transfusion; described vortex of cardiac muscle; L.'s tubercle = a crest between the inferior and the superior venae cavae in the posterior wall of the right atrium.


lumen L. = light; space enclosed by tubular or vesicular structure; hence luminal.


Luschka, Hubert. 1820-1875 Tubingen anatomist; foramina of L. = two lateral apertures of fourth ventricle (1855, 1863); glands of L. = glomus coccygeum, q.v.; tonsil of L. = pharyngeal tonsil.


lutein cells L. luteus = yellow; cells of corpus luteum containing much lipid and appearing yellowish.


luteum L. luteus = yellow; cf. corpus luteum.


Luxol fast blue stain for myelin sheath of nerve fibres.


lymph L. lympha = pure spring water, transparent fluid; found in lymphatics (appears milky in intestinal lymphatics).


lymph node L. " + nodus = knot; first described as lymph glands; organs filtering lymph and producing lymphocytes.


lymphatic adj. L. lymphaticus = frantic, panic-stricken (related to rabies or hydrophobia); now related to lymph; also a lymphatic capillary.


lymphocyte L. lympha = transparent fluid + kytos = hollow vessel; a type of white blood cell, found in tissues and organs, also found in blood and lymph.


lymphoid adj. L. lympha + G. -oeides = form of.


lymphokine L. " + G. kinesis = movement; chemotactic substance produced by T-lymphocytes attracting macrophages to site of infection.


lysis G. = dissolution.


lysosome G. " + soma = body; membrane-bound cell organelle, part of intracellular digestive system.




Histology Glossary: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | ANAT2241 Support | Histology | Histology Stains | Embryology Glossary

Cite this page: Hill, M.A. (2024, March 19) Embryology Histology Glossary - L. Retrieved from https://embryology.med.unsw.edu.au/embryology/index.php/Histology_Glossary_-_L

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© Dr Mark Hill 2024, UNSW Embryology ISBN: 978 0 7334 2609 4 - UNSW CRICOS Provider Code No. 00098G