noun
reticulum
rih-TIK-yuh-lum/rɪˈtɪkjələm/
A structure with a netlike arrangement.
Under the microscope, the fibers form a delicate reticulum.
Etymology
The 'little net' image was applied to the folded lining of a ruminant's second stomach and later to other netlike structures in biology.
In context
Notice that the space in the nuclear envelope is continuous with the lumen, or space, of the endoplasmic reticulum.
More examples
- Fine veins form a reticulum across the leaf.
- The rough endoplasmic reticulum helps the cell make proteins.
- A cow's reticulum has a lining with a honeycomb pattern.
Forms
reticulum · reticula · reticulums
reticular adjective — Having the form of a network.