''This is a disambiguation page for the biological term. For the 2018 horror movie, see
Antrum (film)''
In
biology
Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditar ...
, antrum is a general term for a cavity or chamber, which may have specific meaning in reference to certain organs or sites in the body.
In
vertebrates
Vertebrates () comprise all animal taxa within the subphylum Vertebrata () ( chordates with backbones), including all mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Vertebrates represent the overwhelming majority of the phylum Chordata, wi ...
, it may refer specifically to:
*
Antrum follicularum, the cavity in the epithelium that envelops the oocyte
*
Mastoid antrum, a cavity between the middle ear and temporal bone in the skull
* Stomach antrum, either
**
Pyloric antrum, the lower portion of the stomach. This is what is usually referred to as "antrum" in stomach-related topics{{citation needed, date=November 2019
** or
Antrum cardiacum, a dilation that occurs in the esophagus near the stomach (forestomach)
*
Maxillary antrum
The pyramid-shaped maxillary sinus (or antrum of Nathaniel Highmore (surgeon), Highmore) is the largest of the paranasal sinuses, and drains into the middle meatus of the nose through the osteomeatal complex.Human Anatomy, Jacobs, Elsevier, 2008, ...
or antrum of Highmore, the
maxillary sinus
The pyramid-shaped maxillary sinus (or antrum of Nathaniel Highmore (surgeon), Highmore) is the largest of the paranasal sinuses, and drains into the middle meatus of the nose through the osteomeatal complex.Human Anatomy, Jacobs, Elsevier, 2008, ...
, a cavity in the maxilla and the largest of the paranasal sinuses
In
invertebrates
Invertebrates are a paraphyletic group of animals that neither possess nor develop a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''backbone'' or ''spine''), derived from the notochord. This is a grouping including all animals apart from the chordate ...
, it may refer specifically to:
* Antrum of female
lepidoptera genitalia
Anatomy