cisterna

cisterna definition - medical

cis·ter·na (sĭ-stûrˈnə)

noun pl. cis·ter·nae (-nēˌ)
  1. A cavity or enclosed space serving as a reservoir, especially for chyle, lymph, or cerebrospinal fluid.
  2. An ultramicroscopic space or channel occurring between the membranes of the flattened sacs of the endoplasmic reticulum, the Golgi complex, or the two membranes of the nuclear envelope.

Related Forms:

  • cis·terˈnal adjective

The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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