376 GLOSSARY 



Lig'a-ment (L. Wgo, to bind). A strong, fibrous material binding bones 



or other solid parts together ; it is especially necessary to give strength 



to joints. 

 Lig'a-ture. A thread of silk or other material used in tying around an 



artery. 

 Lymph (L. lym'pha, spring-water). The colorless, watery fluid conveyed 



by the lymphatic vessels. 



Lym-phat'ic Vessels. A system of absorbent vessels. 

 Mal'le-us (L.). Literally, the mallet ; one of the small bones of the mid- 

 dle ear. 

 Mar'row. The soft, fatty substance contained in the central cavities of 



the bones : the spinal marrow, however, is composed of nervous tissue. 

 Mas-ti-ca'tion (L. mas'tico, to chew). The act of cutting and grinding 



the food to pieces by means of the teeth. 

 Me-dul'la Ob-lon-ga'ta. The " oblong marrow," or nervous cord, which 



is continuous with the spinal cord within the skull. 

 Mem-bra'na Tym/pan-i (L. ) . Literally, the membrane of the drum ; a 



delicate partition separating the outer from the middle ear ; it is 



sometimes 1 incorrectly called the drum of the ear. 

 Mem'brane. A thin layer of tissue serving to cover some part of the 



body. 

 Mi'cro-scope (Gr. /U/C/DO'S, micros, small, and O-KOTT^U, skopeo, to look at). 



An optical instrument which assists in the examination of minute 



objects. 

 Mo'lar (L. mo'la, a mill). The name applied to the three back teeth 



of each side of the jaw ; the grinders, or mill-like teeth. 

 Mo'tor (L. mo'veo, mo'tum, to move). Causing motion ; the name of 



those nerves which conduct to the muscles the stimulus which causes 



them to contract. 



Mu'cous Mem'brane. The thin layer of tissue which covers those inter- 

 nal cavities or passages which communicate with the external air. 

 Mu'cus. The glairy fluid which is secreted by mucous membranes, and 



which serves to keep them in a moist condition. 

 My-o'pi-a (Gr. ^uo>, wwo, to contract, and w^, ops, the eye). A defect of 



vision dependent upon an eyeball that is too long, rendering distant 



objects indistinct ; near-sight. 

 Na'sal (L. na'sus, the nose). Pertaining to the nose ; the nasal cavities 



contain the distribution of the special nerve of smell. 

 Nerve (Gr. vevpov, neuron, a cord or string). A glistening, white cord of 



cylindrical shape, connecting the brain or spinal cord with some other 



organ of the body. 

 Nerve Cell. A minute, round and ashen-gray cell found in the brain and 



other nervous centres. 

 Nerve Fi'bre. An exceedingly slender thread of nervous tissue found in 



