Alveolus (; pl. alveoli, adj. alveolar) is a general anatomical term for a concave cavity or pit.

Uses in anatomy and zoology

Pulmonary alveolus A pulmonary alveolus (; ), also called an air sac or air space, is one of millions of hollow, distensible cup-shaped cavities in the lungs where pulmonary gas exchange takes place. Oxygen is exchanged for carbon dioxide at the blood–air bar ...

, an air sac in the lungs **

Alveolar cell A pulmonary alveolus (; ), also called an air sac or air space, is one of millions of hollow, distensible cup-shaped cavities in the lungs where pulmonary gas exchange takes place. Oxygen is exchanged for carbon dioxide at the blood–air bar ...

or pneumocyte **

Alveolar duct A pulmonary alveolus (; ), also called an air sac or air space, is one of millions of hollow, distensible cup-shaped cavities in the lungs where pulmonary gas exchange takes place. Oxygen is exchanged for carbon dioxide at the blood–air bar ...

Alveolar macrophage An alveolar macrophage, pulmonary macrophage, (or dust cell, or dust eater) is a type of macrophage, a phagocytosis#Professional phagocytic cells, professional phagocyte, found in the airways and at the level of the pulmonary alveolus, alveoli in ...

Mammary alveolus A mammary alveolus (: alveoli, from Latin , "little cavity") is a small cavity or sac found in the mammary gland. Mammary alveoli are the site of milk production and storage in the mammary gland. Mammary alveoli cluster into groups called mamm ...

, a milk sac in the mammary glands *

Alveolar gland Alveolus (; pl. alveoli, adj. alveolar) is a general anatomical term for a concave cavity or pit. Uses in anatomy and zoology * Pulmonary alveolus, an air sac in the lungs ** Alveolar cell or pneumocyte ** Alveolar duct ** Alveolar macrophage ...

Dental alveolus Dental alveoli (singular ''alveolus'') are sockets in the jaws in which the roots of teeth are held in the alveolar process with the periodontal ligament. The lay term for dental alveoli is tooth sockets. A joint that connects the roots of the t ...

, also known as "tooth socket", a socket in the jaw that holds the roots of teeth **

Alveolar ridge The alveolar process () is the portion of bone containing the tooth sockets on the jaw bones (in humans, the maxilla and the mandible). The alveolar process is covered by gums within the mouth, terminating roughly along the line of the mandib ...

, the jaw structure that contains the dental alveoli **

Alveolar canals The alveolar canals are apertures in the center of the infratemporal surface of the maxilla. The alveolar canals transmit the posterior superior alveolar vessels and nerves A nerve is an enclosed, cable-like bundle of nerve fibers (called ax ...

Alveolar process The alveolar process () is the portion of bone containing the tooth sockets on the jaw bones (in humans, the maxilla and the mandible). The alveolar process is covered by gums within the mouth, terminating roughly along the line of the mandibu ...

* Arteries: **

Superior alveolar artery (disambiguation) The superior alveolar arteries are two or three arteries supplying the upper teeth and related structures: * The posterior superior alveolar artery, a branch of the maxillary artery that serves the upper teeth and other related structures * The a ...

***

Anterior superior alveolar arteries The anterior superior alveolar artery is one of the two or three superior alveolar arteries. It arises from the infraorbital artery. It passes through the canalis sinuosus. It provides arterial supply the upper incisors, upper incisor and Canine t ...

***

Posterior superior alveolar artery The posterior superior alveolar artery (posterior dental artery) is a branch of the maxillary artery. It is one of two or three superior alveolar arteries. It provides arterial supply to the molar and premolar teeth, maxillary sinus and adjacent bo ...

Inferior alveolar artery The inferior alveolar artery (inferior dental artery) is an artery of the head. It is a branch of (the first part of) the maxillary artery. It descends through the infratemporal fossa as part of a neurovascular bundle with the inferior alveolar ne ...

* Nerves: **

Anterior superior alveolar nerve The anterior superior alveolar nerve (or anterior superior dental nerve) is a branch of the infraorbital nerve (itself a branch of the maxillary nerve (CN V2)). It passes through the canalis sinuosus to reach and innervate upper front teeth. Throu ...

Middle superior alveolar nerve The middle superior alveolar nerve or middle superior dental nerve is a nerve that drops from the infraorbital portion of the maxillary nerve to supply the sinus mucosa, the roots of the maxillary premolars, and the mesiobuccal root of the first ...

Inferior alveolar nerve The inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) (also the inferior dental nerve) is a sensory branch of the mandibular nerve (CN V3) (which is itself the third branch of the trigeminal nerve (CN V)). The nerve provides sensory innervation to the lower/mandibu ...

Uses in botany, microbiology and related disciplines

* Surface cavities or pits, such as on the stem of

Myrmecodia ''Myrmecodia'' is a genus of Epiphyte, epiphytic plants, present in Indochina, Malesia, Papuasia, and Queensland, Australia. It is one of five ant-plant genera in the family Rubiaceae, the others being ''Anthorrhiza'', ''Hydnophytum'', ''Myrme ...

species * Pits on honeycombed surfaces such as receptacles of many

angiosperm Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed within a fruit ...

s * Pits on the fruiting bodies of

fungi A fungus (: fungi , , , or ; or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and mold (fungus), molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as one ...

such as ''Boletus'' or the

ascocarp An ascocarp, or ascoma (: ascomata), is the fruiting body ( sporocarp) of an ascomycete phylum fungus. It consists of very tightly interwoven hyphae and millions of embedded asci, each of which typically contains four to eight ascospores. Ascoc ...

s of fungi such as typical

ascomycete Ascomycota is a phylum of the kingdom Fungi that, together with the Basidiomycota, forms the subkingdom Dikarya. Its members are commonly known as the sac fungi or ascomycetes. It is the largest phylum of Fungi, with over 64,000 species. The def ...

s * Pits on the valves of the tests of many

diatom A diatom (Neo-Latin ''diatoma'') is any member of a large group comprising several Genus, genera of algae, specifically microalgae, found in the oceans, waterways and soils of the world. Living diatoms make up a significant portion of Earth's B ...

s * Membrane supporting vesicles of the

alveolate The alveolates (meaning "pitted like a honeycomb") are a group of protists, considered a major unranked clade or superphylum within Eukaryota. They are currently grouped with the Stramenopiles and Rhizaria among the protists with tubulocristate ...

Uses in linguistics

Alveolar consonant Alveolar consonants (; UK also ) are articulated with the tongue against or close to the superior alveolar ridge, which is called that because it contains the alveoli (the sockets) of the upper teeth. Alveolar consonants may be articulated wi ...

, a linguistic vocalization which involves placing one's tongue against the alveolar ridge *

Alveolar stop In phonetics and phonology, an alveolar stop is a type of consonantal sound, made with the tongue in contact with the alveolar ridge located just behind the teeth (hence alveolar), held tightly enough to block the passage of air (hence a stop cons ...

Uses in anatomy and zoology

Uses in botany, microbiology and related disciplines

Uses in linguistics

See also