SAGITTAL SINUS Meaning and
Definition
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A sagittal sinus refers to a blood vessel located within the brain that plays a vital role in the venous drainage of the organ. Specifically, it is a large, dural venous sinus that runs along the midline of the brain, within the longitudinal fissure that separates the two cerebral hemispheres. It is known as the superior sagittal sinus due to its position above the falx cerebri, a fold of the dura mater that separates the two cerebral hemispheres. The sagittal sinus runs from the front (anterior) portion of the brain to the back (posterior) and eventually drains into another major dural venous sinus called the confluence of sinuses.
The primary function of the sagittal sinus is to collect deoxygenated blood, as well as waste products and other metabolic byproducts, from the superficial cortical veins of the brain. It is supplied with blood mainly from these cortical veins, which in turn receive blood from various regions of the cerebral cortex. Once the deoxygenated blood enters the sagittal sinus, it is eventually drained into the internal jugular vein, which carries it back to the heart for oxygenation and redistribution to the body.
Due to its important role in cerebral venous drainage, any obstruction or abnormality within the sagittal sinus can lead to vascular complications and increase the risk of conditions such as cerebral venous thrombosis.
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The superior longitudinal sinus.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Common Misspellings for SAGITTAL SINUS
- aagittal sinus
- zagittal sinus
- xagittal sinus
- dagittal sinus
- eagittal sinus
- wagittal sinus
- szgittal sinus
- ssgittal sinus
- swgittal sinus
- sqgittal sinus
- safittal sinus
- savittal sinus
- sabittal sinus
- sahittal sinus
- sayittal sinus
- satittal sinus
- saguttal sinus
- sagjttal sinus
- sagkttal sinus
- sagottal sinus
Etymology of SAGITTAL SINUS
The word "sagittal sinus" has its roots in Latin and English.
The term "sagittal" is derived from the Latin word "sagitta", which means "arrow". In anatomy, the term "sagittal" refers to something that is in the direction of the sagittal plane. The sagittal plane is an imaginary plane that divides the body into left and right halves.
The word "sinus" comes from the Latin word "sinus", which means "curve" or "bend". In anatomy, the term "sinus" refers to a cavity or an air-filled space in the body.
Therefore, the term "sagittal sinus" refers to a cavity or space that is situated in the direction of the sagittal plane.
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