flaccida

Flaccida is a Latin term used in biology and medicine, derived from flaccidus, meaning slack, lax, or flabby. In scientific naming, flaccida often functions as a species or subspecies epithet to indicate a slack or pliant characteristic of a particular organism or structure. It occurs across plants, fungi, and animals, with the exact meaning depending on the taxon and context.

In anatomy, pars flaccida refers to the small, slack portion of the tympanic membrane, or eardrum, located in the superior part above the handle of the malleus. This region is thinner and more pliant than the adjacent pars tensa, which forms the main, taut portion of the membrane. The pars flaccida has a different structural composition and is subject to different mechanical behavior within the middle ear.

In taxonomy, flaccida is encountered as an epithet in various taxa to denote a flaccid or lax trait observed in the specimen. The usage is descriptive and can refer to features such as leaves, petals, stems, or other structures that appear less rigid than typical for the group. Because it is a general descriptive term, its precise implication varies by species and context.

See also pars flaccida, the anatomical term for the ear’s slack region, and flaccid, the broader Latin root describing laxity.