Operculum

Look up opercula or operculum in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

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.