Meaning & use
invaginations
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“invaginations” is a form of “invagination”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounpluraltechnicalbiology
Folds or pockets formed when a layer of tissue or a membrane turns inward on itself.
Grammar: Plural of invagination: the invaginations of the cell membrane.
Patterns
- invaginations of something
- invaginations in something
The cell membrane forms invaginations that trap food particles.
Deep invaginations in the intestinal wall increase its surface area.
The embryo develops through folds and invaginations of cell layers.
nounpluralmedical
Cases in which one section of the intestine slides into the section next to it, like a telescope closing.
Grammar: Plural of invagination in a medical sense, often called intussusception.
Patterns
- invaginations of the bowel
Surgeons treated several invaginations of the bowel in infants.
Scans can detect invaginations before they block the intestine.
Repeated invaginations may require surgery.
Word forms
| singular | invagination |
|---|
Common combinations
- membrane invaginations
- Membrane invaginations help the cell take in material.
- deep invaginations
- Deep invaginations greatly increase the surface area.
- form invaginations
- The tissue forms invaginations during development.
- invaginations of the cell
- Invaginations of the cell wall were visible under the microscope.
Synonyms and how they differ
- folds
- Folds is the everyday word for any turned-over layer, while invaginations are specifically folds that point inward.
- pockets
- Pockets suggests small, open spaces, while invaginations are formed by the folding of a layer.
- indentations
- Indentations are simple dents on a surface, whereas invaginations are inward foldings of tissue.
- infoldings
- Infoldings is a near equivalent in biology but is less common than invaginations.
Opposites
Word family
- invagination noun
- a single inward folding
- invaginate verb
- to fold inward
- invaginated adjective
- folded inward
- evagination noun
- an outward folding or outgrowth
Commonly confused: invaginations or vagina?
invaginations vs vagina
Invagination looks like vagina but comes from Latin vagina, a sheath, and refers to folding inward; it does not relate to that body part.
Practice
In biology, what do invaginations describe?
Choose one answer.
Invagination means folding inward. Outward growth would be evagination, and the other options describe unrelated processes.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “invaginations”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.