| pyramidal process | The portion of the palatine bone passing lateral and posterior from the angle formed by the vertical and horizontal plates. Synonym: processus pyramidalis. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| pyramidal radiation | Corticospinal fibres passing from the cortex into the pyramid. Synonym: radiatio pyramidalis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| pyramidal tract | A massive bundle of fibres originating from pyramidal cells of various sizes in the fifth layer of the precentral motor (area 4), the premotor area (area 6), and to a lesser extent from the postcentral gyrus. Cells of origin in area 4 include the gigantopyramidal cells of Betz. Fibres from these cortical regions descend through the internal capsule, the middle third of the crus cerebri, and the ventral part of the pons to emerge on the ventral surface of the medulla oblongata as the pyramis. Continuing caudally, most of the fibres cross to the opposite side in the pyramidal decussation and descend in the dorsal half of the lateral funiculus of the spinal cord as the lateral pyramidal tract, which distributes its fibres throughout the length of the spinal cord to interneurons of the zona intermedia of the spinal gray matter. In the (extremity-related) spinal cord enlargements, fibres also pass directly to motoneuronal groups that innervate distal extremity muscles subserving particular hand-and-finger or foot-and-toe movements. The uncrossed fibres form a small bundle, the anterior pyramidal tract, which descends in the anterior funiculus of the spinal cord and terminates in synaptic contact with interneurons in the medial half of the anterior horn on both sides of the spinal cord. Interruption of the pyramidal tract at or below its cortical origin causes impairment of movement in the opposite body-half, especially severe in the arm and leg; characterised by muscular weakness, spasticity and hyperreflexia, and a loss of discrete finger and hand movements. Babinski's sign is associated with this condition of hemiplegia. Synonym: tractus corticospinalis, tractus pyramidalis, corticospinal tract. (05 Mar 2000) |
| pyramidal tractotomy | May be mesencephalic (pedunculotomy or crusotomy), medullary (medullary pyramidotomy), or spinal (spinal pyramidotomy). (05 Mar 2000) |
| direct pyramidal tract | Uncrossed fibres forming a small bundle in the pyramidal tract. See: pyramidal tract. Synonym: tractus corticospinalis anterior, tractus pyramidalis anterior, anterior corticospinal tract, anterior pyramidal fasciculus, direct pyramidal tract, fasciculus corticospinalis anterior, fasciculus pyramidalis anterior, Turck's bundle, Turck's column, Turck's tract. (05 Mar 2000) |
| lateral pyramidal fasciculus | Those fibres of the pyramidal tract that cross to the opposite side in the pyramidal decussation and descend in the dorsal half of the lateral funiculus of the spinal cord; they are distributed throughout the length of the spinal cord to interneurons of the zona intermedia of the spinal gray matter. See: pyramidal tract. Synonym: tractus corticospinalis lateralis, tractus pyramidalis lateralis, crossed pyramidal tract, fasciculus corticospinalis lateralis, fasciculus pyramidalis lateralis, lateral corticospinal tract, lateral pyramidal fasciculus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| lateral pyramidal tract | Those fibres of the pyramidal tract that cross to the opposite side in the pyramidal decussation and descend in the dorsal half of the lateral funiculus of the spinal cord; they are distributed throughout the length of the spinal cord to interneurons of the zona intermedia of the spinal gray matter. See: pyramidal tract. Synonym: tractus corticospinalis lateralis, tractus pyramidalis lateralis, crossed pyramidal tract, fasciculus corticospinalis lateralis, fasciculus pyramidalis lateralis, lateral corticospinal tract, lateral pyramidal fasciculus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| T-cell-rich, B-cell lymphoma | <tumour> A B-cell lymphoma in which more than 90% of the cells are of T-cell origin, masking the large cells that form the neoplastic B-cell component. See: adult T-cell lymphoma. (05 Mar 2000) |
| absorption cell | A small glass chamber with parallel sides, in which absorption spectra of solutions can be obtained. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acid cell | One of the cell's of the gastric glands; it lies upon the basement membrane, covered by the chief cell's, and secretes hydrochloric acid that reaches the lumen of the gland through fine intracellular and intercellular canals (canaliculi). Synonym: acid cell, oxyntic cell. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acidophil cell | A cell whose cytoplasm or its granules stain with acid dyes. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acinar cell | Any secreting cell lining an acinus, especially applied to the cell's of the pancreas that furnish pancreatic juice and enzymes to distinguish them from the cell's of ducts and the islets of Langerhans. Synonym: acinous cell. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acinar cell tumour | A solid and cystic tumour of the pancreas, occurring in young women; tumour cells contain zymogen granules. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acinic cell adenocarcinoma | <tumour> An adenocarcinoma arising from secreting cells of a racemose gland, particularly the salivary glands. Synonym: acinar carcinoma, acinic cell carcinoma, acinose carcinoma, acinous carcinoma. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acinic cell carcinoma | <tumour> An adenocarcinoma arising from secreting cells of a racemose gland, particularly the salivary glands. Synonym: acinar carcinoma, acinic cell carcinoma, acinose carcinoma, acinous carcinoma. (05 Mar 2000) |