Infundibulum

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A tapered channel primarily involved in the transport of liquids or gases in various anatomical contexts
2. A structure shaped like a funnel that facilitates the movement of substances in biological frameworks
3. A funnel-like passage in anatomy that directs the flow of fluids or other substances through organs

Etymology: In Latin, "infundibulum" was a plain kitchen and workshop object: a funnel for pouring liquids into a narrow-necked vessel. The word was built from "in-", meaning "into," and "fundere," meaning "to pour." The "-bulum" ending is a suffix used for tools and containers, so the name is almost a description of what the object does: it is the thing you pour into. English borrowed the Latin word largely unchanged for the ordinary funnel. Its anatomical sense came later, when anatomists needed names for funnel-shaped structures inside the body. The same funnel image shows up in several places: the infundibulum of the fallopian tube, which channels an egg toward the uterus, and the infundibulum of the brain, a stalk-like extension that links the pituitary gland to the hypothalamus. In each case the anatomist reached for a familiar kitchen object to name a passage that narrows and directs flow.