Funiculus (''Latin'' for "slender rope") is any cord-like structure in anatomy or biology, and may refer to:

Anatomy

* the

spermatic cord The spermatic cord is the cord-like structure in males formed by the vas deferens (''ductus deferens'') and surrounding tissue that runs from the deep inguinal ring down to each testicle. Its serosal covering, the tunica vaginalis, is an exten ...

formed by the

vas deferens The vas deferens (: vasa deferentia), ductus deferens (: ductūs deferentes), or sperm duct is part of the male reproductive system of many vertebrates. In mammals, spermatozoa are produced in the seminiferous tubules and flow into the epididyma ...

and surrounding tissue * the

umbilical cord In Placentalia, placental mammals, the umbilical cord (also called the navel string, birth cord or ''funiculus umbilicalis'') is a conduit between the developing embryo or fetus and the placenta. During prenatal development, the umbilical cord i ...

attaching a fetus to the placenta during pregnancy

Neuroanatomy

* A funiculus or column is a small bundle of axons (nerve fibres), enclosed by the perineurium. :* In the central nervous system, a funiculus is one of the paired white matter regions of the spinal cord: the

anterior funiculus In the spinal cord, the most lateral of the bundles of the ventral root of spinal nerve, ventral nerve roots is generally taken as a dividing line that separates the antero-lateral region into two parts: an anterior funiculus (or anterior column), ...

, the

lateral funiculus The most lateral of the bundles of the anterior nerve roots is generally taken as a dividing line that separates the anterolateral system into two parts. These are the anterior funiculus, between the anterior median fissure and the most lateral ...

, and the

posterior funiculus Posterior may refer to: * Posterior (anatomy), the end of an organism opposite to anterior ** Buttocks, as a euphemism * Posterior horn (disambiguation) * Posterior probability The posterior probability is a type of conditional probability that ...

. :* In the fourth ventricle, the

funiculus separans The vagal trigone (ala cinerea) is a triangular eminence upon the rhomboid fossa produced by the underlying dorsal nucleus of vagus nerve. The vagal trigone is separated from the area postrema by a narrow strip of thickened ependyma – the funic ...

is a strip of

ependyma The ependyma is the thin neuroepithelial ( simple columnar ciliated epithelium) lining of the ventricular system of the brain and the central canal of the spinal cord. The ependyma is one of the four types of neuroglia in the central nervous s ...

. * In the peripheral nervous system, a funiculus is a bundle of axons that may be bundled into a

nerve fascicle A nerve fascicle is a bundle of nerve fibers belonging to a nerve in the peripheral nervous system. A nerve fascicle is also called a fasciculus, as is a nerve tract in the central nervous system. A nerve fascicle is enclosed by perineurium, a l ...

Biology

* in

insect antennae Insects (from Latin ') are Hexapoda, hexapod invertebrates of the class (biology), class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (Insect morphology#Head, head, ...

, the funicle is the segment connecting the club with the base * in

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

s, the funiculus is the stalk that attaches an

ovule In seed plants, the ovule is the structure that gives rise to and contains the female reproductive cells. It consists of three parts: the ''integument'', forming its outer layer, the ''nucellus'' (or remnant of the sporangium, megasporangium), ...

to the placenta * in

mycology Mycology is the branch of biology concerned with the study of fungus, fungi, including their Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, genetics, biochemistry, biochemical properties, and ethnomycology, use by humans. Fungi can be a source of tinder, Edible ...

, the funicular cord is a sticky trailing thread that attaches the peridioles (the "eggs") to the peridium (the "nest") in some species of bird's nest fungi {{disambiguation