Operculum
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An operculum is a small covering or lid, and is widely used in descriptions of animals and plants.
Operculum may refer to:
In human biology:
- Operculum (in pregnancy), the cervical mucus plug that blocks the cervix of the uterus after conception
- Operculum (brain), the part of the brain covering the insula
- Operculum (dentistry), a small flap of tissue which may cover an erupting or partially erupted molar
In animal biology:
- Operculum (animal), a structure resembling a lid or a small door that opens and closes
- Operculum (fish), a flap of the bony fish covering the gills
- Operculum (gastropod), a sort of trapdoor used to close the aperture of some snails
- Operculum (bird), a structure which covers the nares of some birds
- Operculum (bryozoa), a lid on the orifice of some bryozoans
- Operculum, the anterior end of the fruit fly puparium, through which the adult fly emerges
In botany:
- Operculum (botany), various lids and flaps pertaining to plants, algae and fungi
See also
- Dehiscence (botany), the opening of a plant structure, such as a fruit, anther, or sporangium, to release its contents. This sometimes involves an operculum.
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