mammillary body

noun

variants or mamillary body

anatomy

: either of two small, rounded bodies that project from the posterior hypothalamus, receive input from the hippocampus via the fornix and relay impulses to the anterior nuclei of the thalamus, and are thought to play a role in memory

Examples of mammillary body in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These symptoms are localized to a specific area of the brain known as the mammillary bodies near the brain stem, and may be caused by severe, chronic alcohol consumption. —Greg Licholai, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1828, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

mammillary body

noun

variants or mamillary body

: either of two small rounded bodies that project from the posterior hypothalamus, receive input from the hippocampus via the fornix and relay impulses to the anterior nuclei of the thalamus, and are thought to play a role in memory

called also corpus albicans