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Septum

Biological term for a wall dividing a cavity or structure

Septum

Summary

Biological term for a wall dividing a cavity or structure

In biology, a septum (Latin for something that encloses; septa) is a wall, dividing a cavity or structure into smaller ones. A cavity or structure divided in this way may be referred to as septate.

Examples

Human anatomy

  • Interatrial septum, the wall of tissue that is a sectional part of the left and right atria of the heart
A diagram of a healthy heart and one suffering from ventricular septal defect
  • Interventricular septum, the wall separating the left and right ventricles of the heart
  • Lingual septum, a vertical layer of fibrous tissue that separates the halves of the tongue
The lingual septum can be seen running vertically through the center of the tongue.
  • Nasal septum: the cartilage wall separating the nostrils of the nose
Alveolar septa (AS)
  • Alveolar septum: the thin wall which separates the alveoli from each other in the lungs
  • Orbital septum, a palpebral ligament in the upper and lower eyelids
  • Septum pellucidum or septum lucidum, a thin structure separating two fluid pockets in the brain
  • Uterine septum, a malformation of the uterus
  • Penile septum, a fibrous wall between the two corpora cavernosa penis
  • Septum glandis, partition of the ventral aspect of the glans penis
  • Scrotal septum, layer of tissue dividing the scrotum
  • Vaginal septum, a lateral or transverse partition inside the vagina
  • Intermuscular septa separating the muscles of the arms and legs Histological septa are seen throughout most tissues of the body, particularly where they are needed to stiffen soft cellular tissue, and they also provide planes of ingress for small blood vessels. Because the dense collagen fibres of a septum usually extend out into the softer adjacent tissues, microscopic fibrous septa are less clearly defined than the macroscopic types of septa listed above. In rare instances, a septum is a cross-wall. Thus it divides a structure into smaller parts.

Cell biology

The septum (cell biology) is the boundary formed between dividing cells in the course of cell division.

Septins in ''[[Saccharomyces cerevisiae]]''

Fungus

Septate hyphae of the fungus ''[[Alternaria]]'', showing the septa between individual cells
  • A partition dividing filamentous hyphae into discrete cells in fungi.

Botany

A tomato has septa that divide the fruit into chambers ([[locule]]s) that contain the seeds.
  • A partition that separates the locules of a fruit, anther, or sporangium.

Zoology

A coral septum is one of the radial calcareous plates in the corallites of a coral.

Annelids have septa that divide their coelom into segmented chambers.

Many shelled organisms have septa subdividing their shell chamber, including rhizopods, cephalopods and gastropods, the latter seemingly serving as a defence against shell-boring predators.

Laboratory technology

  • A rubber septum is an engineered membrane that permits transfer of a substance (usually liquid or gas) without contact with air, usually using a syringe with needle.

References

References

  1. (2018). "Anatomy of the atrial septum and interatrial communications". Journal of Thoracic Disease.
  2. Carlson, Bruce M.. (2014-11-28). "Reference Module in Biomedical Sciences". Elsevier Science.
  3. (2023-07-25). "Concurrent Pediatric Lingual and Submental Dermoid Cysts: Case Report and Literature Review". Cureus.
  4. (2022-11-01). "Sinonasal Anatomy". Neuroimaging Clinics of North America.
  5. Kesharwani, Prashant. (2019). "Nanotechnology-Based Targeted Drug Delivery Systems for Lung Cancer". [[Academic Press]].
  6. (2023-12-01). "Seeing beyond the swelling: orbital and preseptal cellulitis in children". [[Paediatrics & Child Health.
  7. (2023-04-14). "Obliterated cavum septi pellucidi: Clinical significance and role of fetal magnetic resonance". [[Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica]].
  8. (2000-01-01). "The septate uterus: a review of management and reproductive outcome". [[Fertility and Sterility]].
  9. Kirkham, A. (2012-11-01). "MRI of the penis". [[The British Journal of Radiology]].
  10. (2017-11-10). "Glans wings are separated ventrally by the septum glandis and frenulum penis: MRI documentation and surgical implications". [[Turkish Journal of Urology.
  11. Patel, Abhishek P.. (2017-05-20). "Anatomy and physiology of chronic scrotal pain". [[AME Publishing Company.
  12. Heinonen, P.K.. (1982). "Longitudinal vaginal septum". [[European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology]].
  13. (2011). "MacSween's Pathology of the Liver". [[Churchill Livingstone]].
  14. (2023). "Genetic Determinants of the Interventricular Septum Are Linked to Ventricular Septal Defects and Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy". [[Circulation (journal).
  15. (2021-05-21). "Asymmetric localization of the cell division machinery during Bacillus subtilis sporulation". [[eLife]].
  16. (2009-02-01). "Hyphal morphogenesis in Aspergillus nidulans". [[British Mycological Society#Publications.
  17. Hong, De-Yuan. (2015). "A Monograph of Codonopsis and Allied Genera (Campanulaceae)". [[Academic Press]].
  18. Scrutton, Colin. (12 May 1998). "The Palaeozoic corals, II: Structure, variation and palaeoecology".
  19. Squire, Larry R.. (2009). "Encyclopedia of Neuroscience". [[Academic Press]].
  20. (2018). "Deciphering deterministic factors of predation pressures in deep time". Scientific Reports.
  21. (1982). "Unsuccessful Predation and Evolution". The American Naturalist.
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