A frenulum (or frenum, plural: frenula or frena, from the Latin ''frēnulum'', "little bridle", the

diminutive A diminutive is a root word that has been modified to convey a slighter degree of its root meaning, either to convey the smallness of the object or quality named, or to convey a sense of intimacy or endearment. A ( abbreviated ) is a word-form ...

of ''frēnum''Article title
/ref>) is a small fold of tissue that secures the motion of a mobile organ in the body.

In human anatomy

Frenula on the human body include several in the

mouth In animal anatomy, the mouth, also known as the oral cavity, or in Latin cavum oris, is the opening through which many animals take in food and issue vocal sounds. It is also the cavity lying at the upper end of the alimentary canal, bounded on t ...

, some in the

digestive tract The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The GI tract contains all the major organs of the digestive system, in humans an ...

, and some connected to the

external genitalia A sex organ (or reproductive organ) is any part of an animal or plant that is involved in sexual reproduction. The reproductive organs together constitute the reproductive system. In animals, the testis in the male, and the ovary in the female, ...

. *Brain: ''

Frenulum of superior medullary velum The frenulum veli, or frenulum of superior medullary velum, also known as the ''frenulum veli medullaris superioris'', ''cerebellar frenulum'', or ''frenulum cerebelli'' is a slightly raised white band passing from the inferior end of the medial l ...

'' or ''frenulum veli'' *Digestive tract: ''frenulum valvae ileocaecalis'' *Oral tissue: Frenula of the

include the '' frenulum linguae'' under the

tongue The tongue is a muscular organ in the mouth of a typical tetrapod. It manipulates food for mastication and swallowing as part of the digestive process, and is the primary organ of taste. The tongue's upper surface (dorsum) is covered by taste bu ...

, the '' frenulum labii superioris'' inside the upper lip, the '' frenulum labii inferioris'' inside the lower lip, and the buccal frena which connect the cheeks to the gum. These can easily be torn by violent blows to the face or mouth, thus a torn frenulum is sometimes a warning sign of

physical abuse Physical abuse is any intentional act causing injury or trauma to another person or animal by way of bodily contact. In most cases, children are the victims of physical abuse, but adults can also be victims, as in cases of domestic violence or ...

. *Penile tissue: The word ''frenulum'' on its own is often used for the

frenulum of prepuce of penis The frenulum of prepuce of penis, often known simply as the frenulum, is a highly erogenous elastic band of tissue under the glans penis that connects the foreskin to the vernal mucosa, and helps contract the foreskin over the glans. Along with th ...

or ''frenulum preputii penis'', which is an elastic band of tissue under the

glans penis In male human anatomy, the glans penis, commonly referred to as the glans, is the bulbous structure at the distal end of the human penis that is the human male's most sensitive erogenous zone and their primary anatomical source of sexual ...

that connects to the prepuce (

foreskin In male human anatomy, the foreskin, also known as the prepuce, is the double-layered fold of skin, mucosal and muscular tissue at the distal end of the human penis that covers the glans and the urinary meatus. The foreskin is attached to ...

) to the vernal mucosa, and helps contract the prepuce over the glans. *Vulvular tissue: In females, genital frenula include the ''

frenulum clitoridis The clitoris ( or ) is a female sex organ present in mammals, ostriches and a limited number of other animals. In humans, the visible portion – the glans – is at the front junction of the labia minora (inner lips), above the ope ...

'' of the

clitoris The clitoris ( or ) is a female sex organ present in mammals, ostriches and a limited number of other animals. In humans, the visible portion – the glans – is at the front junction of the labia minora (inner lips), above the o ...

and the ''

frenulum labiorum pudendi The frenulum of labia minora (''fourchette'' or ''posterior commissure of the labia minora'') is a frenulum where the labia minora meet posteriorly. Pathology The fourchette may be torn during delivery due to the sudden stretching of the vulva ...

'' (''fourchette'') where the

labia minora The labia minora (Latin for 'smaller lips', singular: ''labium minus'', 'smaller lip'), also known as the inner labia, inner lips, vaginal lips or nymphae are two flaps of skin on either side of the human vaginal opening in the vulva, situated be ...

meet at the back. An overly short oral or genital frenulum may require a frenulectomy or frenuloplasty to achieve normal mobility.

In insects

The word frenulum also refers to a

bristle A bristle is a stiff hair or feather (natural or artificial), either on an animal, such as a pig, a plant, or on a tool such as a brush or broom. Synthetic types Synthetic materials such as nylon are also used to make bristles in items such as ...

present at the root of the hindwing of most

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of ...

s which engages with a small hook or tuft on the forewing (the

retinaculum A retinaculum (plural ''retinacula'') is a band of thickened deep fascia around tendons that holds them in place. It is not part of any muscle. Its function is mostly to stabilize a tendon. The term retinaculum is New Latin, derived from the Latin ...

) to join the wings together.

References

External links

* {{Wiktionary-inline Tissues (biology) Insect anatomy

In human anatomy

In insects

See also

Piercings

References

External links