interlobular

Interlobular is an anatomical term used to describe structures that lie between lobes or within the connective tissue that separates lobes in glandular organs. The word derives from Latin inter- “between” and lobulus “little lobe.” In histology and anatomy, interlobular is applied to ducts, vessels, or tissue located in the interlobular spaces or septa, indicating their position rather than a specific function.

In the liver, interlobular ducts, also called interlobular bile ducts, run in the portal triads at the corners of hepatic lobules and drain bile toward larger ducts. The term also appears in reference to interlobular arteries and interlobular veins that supply and drain the lobular regions within the hepatic architecture.

In the kidney, interlobular arteries and veins reside in the renal cortex between lobes and give rise to smaller vessels, including afferent arterioles, reflecting their position rather than a distinct vessel type. In the pancreas, interlobular ducts separate the exocrine acini within connective tissue septa, forming part of the ductal network that conveys pancreatic secretions. In the mammary gland, interlobular ducts describe ducts located between lobes, contributing to the branching ductal system of the breast.

Overall, interlobular is a descriptive modifier indicating a location between lobes or within interlobular septa. Its exact structures vary by organ, but the common theme is spatial relationship to the lobular architecture rather than a single unified anatomical category.