plexus

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A network of blood vessels or nerve fibres. There are five major nerve plexuses; the brachial, cervical, coccygeal, lumbar, and sacral plexuses. Some of their fibres carry sensory messages to the central nervous system (CNS), and others carry motor impulses away from the CNS to the effector organs, such as muscles.

Pl. plexus, plexuses [L.] a network or tangle, chiefly of veins or nerves.

• brachial p. — see brachial plexus.
• cardiac p. — the plexus around the base of the heart, chiefly in the epicardium, formed by cardiac branches from the vagus nerves and the sympathetic trunks and ganglia, and made up of sympathetic, parasympathetic and visceral afferent fibers that innervate the heart.
• carotid p's — nerve plexuses surrounding the common, external and internal carotid arteries.
• celiac p. — a plexus of autonomic fibers and sympathetic nerve ganglia which surround the origin of the celiac artery, and supply the abdominal viscera.
• celiacomesenteric p. — a plexus of autonomic nerve fibers and sympathetic ganglia around the origin of the celiac and cranial mesenteric arteries; called also solar plexus.
• cervical p. — a network of nerve fibers formed by the first four cervical nerves and supplying the structures in the region of the neck.
• choroid p. — infoldings of blood vessels of the pia mater covered by a thin coat of ependymal cells that form tufted projections into the third, fourth, and lateral ventricles of the brain; they secrete the cerebrospinal fluid.
• coccygeal p. — a nerve plexus formed by the ventral branches of the coccygeal and last sacral nerves.
• coronary p. — a venous plexus within the coronet of the hoof.
• cutaneous p's — superficial, middle and deep, inter-communicating plexuses of blood vessels are identified as supplying blood to haired skin.
• cystic p. — a nerve plexus near the gallbladder.
• dental p. — either of two plexuses (inferior and superior) of nerve fibers, one from the inferior alveolar nerve, situated around the roots of the lower teeth, and the other from the superior alveolar nerve, situated around the roots of the upper teeth.
• gonadal p. — the collection of parasympathetic and sympathetic nerves to the gonads.
• hoof p. — plexus of veins draining the hoof region in the horse.
• lumbar p. — see lumbar plexus.
• lumbosacral p. — see lumbosacral plexus.
• mesenteric p. — parasympathetic and sympathetic nerve supply to the abdominal organs.
• myenteric p. — see auerbach plexus.
• nerve p. — a plexus composed of intermingled nerve fibers.
• pampiniform p. — 1. a plexus of veins from the testis and the epididymis, constituting part of the spermatic cord.
— 2. a plexus of ovarian veins in the broad ligament of the uterus.
• parametrial p. — the venous plexus within the broad ligament providing venous drainage to the uterus and vagina.
• p. papilloma — see plexus papilloma.
• pulmonary p. — the array of autonomic nerves which supply the lungs.
• renal p. — autonomic nerve supply to the kidney.
• sacral p. — a plexus arising from the ventral branches of the last few lumbar and first few sacral spinal nerves.
• solar p. — see celiacomesenteric plexus (above).
• tympanic p. — a network of nerve fibers supplying the mucous lining of the tympanum and auditory tube.

(plek′sus)
n

A network or tangle, especially of nerves, lymphatics, or veins.

See words rhyming with "plexus."

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Dansk (Danish)
n. - fletværk, net

Nederlands (Dutch)
netwerk van bloedvaten of zenuwen

Français (French)
n. - plexus

Deutsch (German)
n. - Plexus

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - πλέγμα

Italiano (Italian)
plesso

Português (Portuguese)
n. - plexo (m), teia (f)

Русский (Russian)
сплетение

Español (Spanish)
n. - plexo, entrelazamiento

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - nät, nätverk

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
丛

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 叢

한국어 (Korean)
n. - (신경, 혈관의) 망, 망상조직

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 叢, 網状構造, もつれ, 網状組織

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) شبكه مواصلات او سكه حديديه وما إلى ذلك, ضفيرة‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮מקלעת, רשת עצבים וכלי-דם‬

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