Fimbria
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(Redirected from Fimbriae)
A fimbria (plural fimbriae) is a Latin word that literally means "fringe." It is commonly used in science and medicine, with its meaning depending on the field of study or the context. For example:
- In bacteriology, fimbria is a proteinaceous appendage in many gram-negative bacteria that is thinner and shorter than a flagellum. This appendage ranges from 3-10 nanometers in diameter and can be up to several micrometers long. Fimbriae are used by bacteria to adhere to one another and to adhere to animal cells. A bacterium can have as many as 1,000 fimbriae. Fimbriae are only visible with the use of an electron microscope.
- With regard to the brain, fimbria (neuroanatomy) is a prominent band of white matter along the medial edge of the hippocampus.
- In the female reproductive system, the fimbria (female reproductive system) is a fringe of tissue near the ovary leading to the Fallopian tube.
- Cognomen of Roman general Gaius Flavius Fimbria (d. 84 BC).
