Uncinate process
Encyclopedia
Uncinate process can refer to:
- Uncinate process of ethmoid boneUncinate process of ethmoid boneIn the ethmoid bone, a curved lamina, the uncinate process, projects downward and backward from this part of the labyrinth; it forms a small part of the medial wall of the maxillary sinus, and articulates with the ethmoidal process of the inferior nasal concha....
- Uncinate process of vertebraUncinate process of vertebraAn uncinate process of a vertebra is a hook-shaped process on the lateral borders of the superior surface of the vertebral bodies of the third to the seventh cervical vertebrae and first thoracic vertebra. This bony part prevents a vertebra from sliding backwards off the vertebra below it An...
- a hook shaped process on the lateral borders (side edges) of the superior (top) surface of the vertebral bodies of the third to the seventh cervical vertebrae. - Uncinate process of pancreasUncinate process of pancreasIn the head of the pancreas, the angle of junction of the lower and left lateral borders forms a prolongation, termed the uncinate process.During the embryonic development of the distal foregut, the duodenum c-shape is formed while rotating the ventral pancreatic bud into the dorsal bud. The dorsal...
- Uncinate processes of ribsUncinate processes of ribsThe uncinate processes of the ribs are extensions of bone that in birds project caudally from the vertical segment of each rib. These processes help to strengthen the rib cage of birds by overlapping with the rib behind them...
, which can be separate bones or projections from ribRibIn vertebrate anatomy, ribs are the long curved bones which form the rib cage. In most vertebrates, ribs surround the chest, enabling the lungs to expand and thus facilitate breathing by expanding the chest cavity. They serve to protect the lungs, heart, and other internal organs of the thorax...
s. They are found in birdBirdBirds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s, some dinosaurDinosaurDinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
s (particularly some coelurosauriaCoelurosauriaCoelurosauria is the clade containing all theropod dinosaurs more closely related to birds than to carnosaurs. In the past, it was used to refer to all small theropods, although this classification has been abolished...
n theropods), and sphenodonts (tuataraTuataraThe tuatara is a reptile endemic to New Zealand which, though it resembles most lizards, is actually part of a distinct lineage, order Sphenodontia. The two species of tuatara are the only surviving members of its order, which flourished around 200 million years ago. Their most recent common...
s). An uncinate process on a rib overlaps the rib posteriorAnatomical terms of locationStandard anatomical terms of location are designations employed in science that deal with the anatomy of animals to avoid ambiguities that might otherwise arise. They are not language-specific, and thus require no translation...
to it, providing bracing to the rib cage. Uncinate processes found in dinosaur fossils were used to relate how some theropods breathed to that of penguinPenguinPenguins are a group of aquatic, flightless birds living almost exclusively in the southern hemisphere, especially in Antarctica. Highly adapted for life in the water, penguins have countershaded dark and white plumage, and their wings have become flippers...
s. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7081166.stm