Funiculi

Funiculus, plural funiculi, is a Latin term meaning “cord” or “rope.” In anatomy, it denotes a narrow, cord-like structure in various organs and systems, with the exact meaning depending on the context.

In botany, the funiculus is the stalk that attaches an ovule to the placenta within the ovary. It supplies nutrients to the developing ovule and, after fertilization, typically becomes part of the seed’s structure, often ending at the hilum, the scar on the seed coat that marks the site of attachment.

In vertebrate anatomy, the spinal cord contains three paired white matter columns known as the dorsal (posterior) funiculi, ventral (anterior) funiculi, and lateral funiculi. These funiculi house ascending and descending nerve tracts that transmit sensory and motor information. The dorsal funiculus contains the fasciculus gracilis and fasciculus cuneatus, which carry fine touch, proprioception, and related modalities from the body to the brain, with pathways that cross in the brainstem. The ventral and lateral funiculi carry a variety of fibers, including motor commands descending from the brain and other ascending sensory pathways.

The term is also used more generally for other cord-like structures in the body, such as the spermatic cord in males, sometimes referred to as the funiculus spermaticus. As with other anatomical terms, the precise meaning of “funiculus” depends on the organ system being described.