medullary ray

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Explanation of "Medullary Ray"

Definition:
A "medullary ray" is a term used in biology and botany. It refers to a thin sheet of tissue found in the stems of plants. This tissue separates different groups of vascular bundles, which are the structures that help transport water and nutrients in the plant.

Usage Instructions:

• The term is mostly used in scientific contexts, particularly when studying plant anatomy.
• It is not commonly used in everyday conversation, so you'll typically find it in textbooks or academic discussions about plants.

Example Sentence:

• "The medullary rays in the tree trunk help to transport nutrients from the outer bark to the inner wood."

Advanced Usage:

• In advanced studies, you might discuss how medullary rays contribute to the growth patterns of trees or how they play a role in the storage of nutrients.

Word Variants:

• Medullary (adjective): Relating to the medulla or inner part of an organ or structure.
• Ray (noun): A term that can refer to a line or a beam, but in this context, it specifically relates to the structure of the medullary ray.

Different Meanings:

• Outside of botany, "ray" can refer to rays of light, or in mathematics, it can mean a line that starts at a point and extends infinitely in one direction.

Synonyms:

• Vascular ray (another term often used interchangeably with "medullary ray").

Related Terms:

• Vascular bundle: The structures within plants that consist of xylem (for water transport) and phloem (for nutrient transport).
• Parenchyma: A type of tissue in plants that can store nutrients and is found near medullary rays.

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• There are no specific idioms or phrasal verbs related to "medullary ray" since it is a scientific term. However, understanding plant anatomy might involve phrases like "branch out" (to expand or grow in new directions) in a metaphorical context.

Academic

Noun

1. a sheet of vascular tissue separating the vascular bundles

Synonyms

• vascular ray