ampullien

Ampullien is a term used mainly in anatomy and zoology to describe structures that resemble or function as ampullae, i.e., saclike dilations in ducts or hollow organs. The word derives from ampulla, Latin for a small bottle or flask, with the suffix -ien indicating relating to. In practice, ampullien is encountered as an adjective or a noun in French medical writing to refer to ampulliform structures.

In anatomy, several well-known structures are described as ampulliform. The ampullae of Lorenzini are gel-filled sensory organs in cartilaginous fishes that detect electrical fields and temperature; they are located on the head and feed into electroreceptors. In the inner ear, each semicircular canal ends in an ampulla containing the crista ampullaris, where hair cells sense angular motion. In the digestive system, the hepatopancreatic ampulla, commonly called the ampulla of Vater, is the dilated junction where the common bile duct and pancreatic duct join before opening into the duodenum.

Despite occasional use, the term ampullien is less common in modern English, with ampulla or ampullae being the preferred forms. It may appear in French texts to emphasize an ampulla-like or sac-shaped characteristic. The core concept highlights a regional expansion or dilation formed by tubular structures, serving specific sensory, digestive, or fluid-transport functions. See also ampulla, ampullae of Lorenzini, crista ampullaris, and Vater’s ampulla.