Glandula

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A small organ in the body that produces and secretes substances such as hormones or enzymes
2. a cluster of cells that performs a specific function and releases fluids
3. a specialized tissue that plays a crucial role in bodily functions through secretion or absorption

Etymology: "Glandula" is the Latin word for a small acorn or a swelling, a diminutive of "glans," meaning acorn. Its literal sense is "little acorn," and the same image of a rounded, nut-shaped body lies behind the anatomical use. Roman writers used it for small swellings of the body, such as the lumps that form under the skin in the neck and groin, which were compared in shape to acorns. The modern sense comes from this old image of a rounded lump. Anatomists in the 17th century applied the Latin term to organs that appeared as distinct rounded bodies within the tissue, and it passed into English as "gland" in that period. The Latin form "glandula" survives as the technical name in scientific writing, where it is used for the specific cell clusters that secrete fluids.

Synonyms: gland, secretory organ