lobule
Meaning of lobule: A lobule is a small subdivision of a larger lobe within an organ, forming part of the organ's internal structural and functional units.
Definition of lobule
A lobule is a small division or subunit of a larger lobe, a term used across anatomy to describe the finer internal structure of several organs. Many organs are first divided into larger lobes, which are further subdivided into smaller lobules, each often functioning as a structural and, in some organs, functional unit.
Examples include the lobules of the liver, which are the basic structural units through which blood flows and metabolic processes occur, and the lobules of the breast, which contain the glandular tissue responsible for milk production. The lung is similarly organized into lobes that are further divided into smaller lobules.
The specific structure and function of a lobule depends entirely on which organ is being described, since the term itself refers only to the level of subdivision rather than to a particular tissue type.
Used in a sentence
The imaging report described a small cyst within a lobule of the breast.
Good to know
The word lobule describes a level of anatomical subdivision rather than a specific structure, so its meaning depends entirely on the organ named alongside it, such as a hepatic lobule or a breast lobule.
Word origin
Where “lobule” comes from
From Latin lobulus, a diminutive of lobus, meaning "lobe," from Greek lobos.