# Alveolus

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Alveolus
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Alveolus.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alveolus
> Source revision: 1307633359
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

General anatomical term for a concave cavity or pit

"Alveolar" redirects here. For the consonants, see [Alveolar consonant](/source/Alveolar_consonant).

**Alveolus** ([/ælˈviːələs/](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/English) [*al-VEE-ə-ləs*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Pronunciation_respelling_key), [UK](/source/British_English) also [/ˌælviˈoʊləs/](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/English) [*AL-vee-OH-ləs*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Pronunciation_respelling_key); pl. alveoli [/ælˈviːəlaɪ/](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/English) [*al-VEE-ə-ly*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Pronunciation_respelling_key), [UK](/source/British_English) also [/ˌælviˈoʊlaɪ/](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/English) [*AL-vee-OH-ly*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Pronunciation_respelling_key); from [Latin](/source/Latin_language) **[alveolus](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/alveolus#Latin)** 'little cavity') is a general anatomical term for a concave cavity or pit.[1][2]

## Uses in anatomy and zoology

- [Pulmonary alveolus](/source/Pulmonary_alveolus), an air sac in the lungs - [Alveolar cell](/source/Alveolar_cell) or pneumocyte - [Alveolar duct](/source/Alveolar_duct) - [Alveolar macrophage](/source/Alveolar_macrophage)

- [Mammary alveolus](/source/Mammary_alveolus), a milk sac in the mammary glands

- [Alveolar gland](/source/Alveolar_gland)

- [Dental alveolus](/source/Dental_alveolus), also known as "tooth socket", a socket in the jaw that holds the roots of teeth - [Alveolar ridge](/source/Alveolar_ridge), the jaw structure that contains the dental alveoli - [Alveolar canals](/source/Alveolar_canals) - [Alveolar process](/source/Alveolar_process)

- Arteries: - [Superior alveolar artery (disambiguation)](/source/Superior_alveolar_artery_(disambiguation)) - [Anterior superior alveolar arteries](/source/Anterior_superior_alveolar_arteries) - [Posterior superior alveolar artery](/source/Posterior_superior_alveolar_artery) - [Inferior alveolar artery](/source/Inferior_alveolar_artery)

- Nerves: - [Anterior superior alveolar nerve](/source/Anterior_superior_alveolar_nerve) - [Middle superior alveolar nerve](/source/Middle_superior_alveolar_nerve) - [Inferior alveolar nerve](/source/Inferior_alveolar_nerve)

## Uses in botany, microbiology and related disciplines

- Surface cavities or pits, such as on the stem of [Myrmecodia](/source/Myrmecodia) species

- Pits on honeycombed surfaces such as [receptacles](/source/Receptacle_(botany)) of many [angiosperms](/source/Angiosperm)

- Pits on the fruiting bodies of [fungi](/source/Fungi) such as *Boletus* or the [ascocarps](/source/Ascocarp) of fungi such as typical [ascomycetes](/source/Ascomycete)

- Pits on the valves of the tests of many [diatoms](/source/Diatom)

- Membrane supporting vesicles of the [alveolates](/source/Alveolate)

## Uses in linguistics

- [Alveolar consonant](/source/Alveolar_consonant), a linguistic vocalization which involves placing one's tongue against the alveolar ridge

- [Alveolar stop](/source/Alveolar_stop)

## See also

- The dictionary definition of [*alveolus*](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/alveolus) at Wiktionary

- The dictionary definition of [*alveolar*](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/alveolar) at Wiktionary

- The dictionary definition of [*alveoli*](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/alveoli) at Wiktionary

- [Alveolar soft part sarcoma](/source/Alveolar_soft_part_sarcoma), a very rare type of soft-tissue sarcoma,

- [Acinus](/source/Acinus), considered by some (but not all) sources to be synonymous with Alveolus

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary, alvĕŏlus"](https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0059:entry=alveolus). *www.perseus.tufts.edu*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Gaffiot"](https://micmap.org/dicfro/search/gaffiot/alveolus). *micmap.org*.

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Alveolus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alveolus) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alveolus?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.