canaliculus

n., pl., -li (-lī').
A small canal or duct in the body, such as the minute channels in compact bone.

[Latin canāliculus, diminutive of canālis, conduit. See canal.]

canalicular can'a·lic'u·lar (-lər) adj.

(kan′əlik′yəlus)
n

A minute channel that extends from or to the lacunae of bone and cementum and contains filamentous processes of the cells that occupy the lacunae; interconnects with canaliculi extending from neighboring lacunae.

A small channel or groove, as a fluting carved on the face of a triglyph.

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Pl. canaliculi [L.] an extremely narrow tubular passage or channel.

• bile c. — fine tubular channels forming a three-dimensional network within the parenchyma of the liver. They join to form the bile ductules and eventually the hepatic duct.
• bone c. — branching tubular passages radiating like wheel spokes from each bone lacuna to connect with the canaliculi of adjacent lacunae, and with the haversian canal.
• dentinal c. — in the tooth dentine; converge towards the pulp of the tooth.
• intracellular c. — intracellular connection between apical plasmalemma and cytoplasm proper of the parietal cells in the gastric mucosa.
• lacrimal c. — the short passage in an eyelid, beginning at the lacrimal point and draining tears from the lacrimal lake to the lacrimal sac; called also lacrimal duct. See also lacrimal apparatus.
• mastoid c. — a small channel in the temporal bone transmitting the tympanic branch of the vagus nerve.
• secretory c. — small canals in serous glandular epithelial cells connecting the cells with the luminal surface.

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