In the ocular area there are different papillae.
Papilla is a term with several uses in the field of anatomy . It may be the cone-shaped protuberance that forms in certain membranes or in the skin from a branch of a vessel or a nerve.
The etymological origin of the term is found in Latin. It derives from papilla , which can be translated as “nipple of the breast” and is made up of two different parts: the noun papula , which is synonymous with “button” or “bulge” ; and the suffix -ula , which is used as a diminutive.
Papillae in the eye area
A region found in the retina is known as the optic papilla . The axons of the cells that make up the optic nerve originate from this space located in the human eye. Because the optic papilla does not have the necessary elements to sense light, it is also called a blind spot .
The optic papilla is not the only papilla located in the ocular area. The tear papilla , a conical-looking prominence, is located on the side of the eyelid and houses the beginning of the tear duct.
Other protuberances
The papilla of Vater , for its part, is located in the duodenum. Its function is to regulate the circulation of pancreatic juice and bile . The name Vater comes from Abraham Vater , the German scientist who described this papilla in the 18th century .
In the same way, we cannot forget the existence of the so-called renal papilla , which is responsible for urine being poured into the well-known renal calyx. It can be harmed by certain medications that cause diseases and disorders such as necrosis to appear.
Taste buds make the perception of taste possible.
The taste buds
The taste buds are located on the tongue , which are the receptors that allow humans to feel taste. Depending on the location of each papilla along the tongue, these protuberances can more accurately detect one or another type of flavor (bitter, sweet, etc.).
Regarding the taste buds, it is worth knowing these other interesting facts:
- They are a type of lumps of meat that have taste buds, with hairs, which are responsible for sending information to the brain about any flavor.
- It is considered that, as a general rule, a person can have a total of 10,000 papillae of this type. With age that figure decreases, so, for example, it can be approximately half.
- Specifically, there are four different kinds of papillae: fungiform, goblet, foliate, and fungiform.
There are various diseases that can affect the aforementioned taste buds. However, among the most common are the following:
- Geographic language.
- Glossitis. This pathology is identified because the tongue suffers burning and swelling, all while also experiencing changes in its color.
- Hairy and black tongue, which causes the tongue to have a hairy appearance and also become discolored.
The term in botany
For botany , finally, papillae are those cone-shaped elevations that are found in certain organs.
These are small excrescences that develop in the epidermal cells of certain plants .