Pedicel

From WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia

Pedicel is a term used in various branches of biology to refer to a type of stalk or stem. In botany, a pedicel is the stalk of a single flower in an inflorescence or the stalk of a solitary flower. In zoology, the term is used to refer to various types of appendages or projections.

Botany[edit | edit source]

In botany, a pedicel is the stalk of a single flower in an inflorescence or the stalk of a solitary flower. The word pedicel is derived from the Latin pediculus, meaning "little foot". The stem or branch that the pedicel arises from is called the peduncle. If the pedicel is absent, the flower is said to be sessile. Pedicels are often useful in the identification of plants. For example, the presence of a pedicel is one of the characteristics that distinguishes the wild strawberry from the woodland strawberry.

Zoology[edit | edit source]

In zoology, the term pedicel is used to refer to various types of appendages or projections. For example, in spiders, the pedicel is a small stalk connecting the cephalothorax (head) to the abdomen. In ticks and mites, the pedicel is a narrow waist connecting the idiosoma (body) to the gnathosoma (mouthparts). In insects, the pedicel is the second segment of the antenna.

See also[edit | edit source]

Pedicel Resources

Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD