| lesser palatine artery | <anatomy, artery> One of several posterior branches of the descending palatine in the greater palatine canal, distributed to the soft palate and tonsil. Synonym: arteria palatina minor. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| lesser palatine foramina | Openings on the hard palate of palatine canals passing vertically through the tuberosity of the palatine bone and transmitting the smaller palatine nerves and vessels. Synonym: foramina palatina minora, posterior palatine foramina. (05 Mar 2000) |
| lesser palatine nerves | Usually two, these nerves emerge through the lesser palatine foramina and supply the mucosa and glands of the soft palate and uvula; they are branches of the pterygopalatine ganglion and contain postsynaptic parasympathetic and sensory fibres of the maxillary nerve. Synonym: nervi palatini minores. (05 Mar 2000) |
| lesser pancreas | A portion of the head of the pancreas that hooks around posterior to the superior mesenteric vessels, sometimes into the "nutcracker" formed by the superior mesenteric artery and abdominal aorta. Synonym: processus uncinatus pancreatis, lesser pancreas, pancreas minus, small pancreas, uncinate pancreas, unciform pancreas, Willis' pancreas, Winslow's pancreas. (05 Mar 2000) |
| lesser pelvis | The cavity of the pelvis below the brim or superior aperture. Synonym: pelvis minor, pelvis vera, small pelvis, true pelvis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| lesser peritoneal sac | <anatomy> An isolated portion of the peritoneal cavity lying dorsal to the stomach and extending craniad to the liver and diaphragm and caudad into the greater omentum; it opens into the general peritoneal cavity at the epiploic foramen. Synonym: bursa omentalis, lesser peritoneal cavity, lesser peritoneal sac, omental sac. (05 Mar 2000) |
| lesser petrosal nerve | <anatomy, nerve> The parasympathetic root of the otic ganglion, derived from the tympanic plexus; it leaves the tympanic cavity through the canal for the lesser petrosal nerve and passes within the cranium to the sphenopetrosal fissure, or to the foramen ovale, or to the petrosal foramen through which it descends to reach the otic ganglion; conveys presynaptic parasympathetic fibres from the glossopharyngeal nerve concerned with secretomotor innervation of the perotid gland. Synonym: nervus petrosus minor, lesser petrosal nerve. (05 Mar 2000) |
| lesser rhomboid muscle | <anatomy, muscle> Origin, spinous processes of sixth and seventh cervical vertebrae; insertion, medial margin of scapula above spine; action, draws scapula toward vertebral column and slightly upward; nerve supply, dorsal nerve of scapula. Synonym: musculus rhomboideus minor, lesser rhomboid muscle. (05 Mar 2000) |
| lesser ring of iris | The narrow inner zone of the iris. Synonym: annulus iridis minor. (05 Mar 2000) |
| lesser sciatic notch | The notch in the posterior border of the ischium below the ischial spine. Synonym: incisura ischiadica minor. (05 Mar 2000) |
| lesser splanchnic nerve | <anatomy, nerve> One of the abdominopelvic splanchnic nerves arising in the thorax from the last two thoracic sympathetic ganglia and passing through the diaphragm to the aorticorenal ganglion; conveys presynaptic sympathetic fibres and visceral afferent fibres. Synonym: nervus splanchnicus minor. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Lesser's triangle | The space between the bellies of the digastric muscle and the hypoglossal nerve. (05 Mar 2000) |
| lesser superficial petrosal nerve | <anatomy, nerve> The parasympathetic root of the otic ganglion, derived from the tympanic plexus; it leaves the tympanic cavity through the canal for the lesser petrosal nerve and passes within the cranium to the sphenopetrosal fissure, or to the foramen ovale, or to the petrosal foramen through which it descends to reach the otic ganglion; conveys presynaptic parasympathetic fibres from the glossopharyngeal nerve concerned with secretomotor innervation of the perotid gland. Synonym: nervus petrosus minor, lesser petrosal nerve. (05 Mar 2000) |
| lesser supraclavicular fossa | A triangular space between the two heads of origin of the sternocleidomastoid muscle. Synonym: fossa supraclavicularis minor. (05 Mar 2000) |
| lesser trochanter | A pyramidal process projecting from the medial and proximal part of the shaft of the femur at the line of junction of the shaft and the neck; it receives the insertion of the psoas major and iliacus (iliopsoas) muscles. Synonym: trochanter minor, small trochanter, trochantin. (05 Mar 2000) |