XIPHOIDPROCESS

Xiphoid process

The xiphoid process, or xiphisternum or metasternum, is a small cartilaginous process of the lower part of the sternum which is usually ossified in the adult human. By age 15 to 29, the xiphoid usually fuses to the body of the sternum with a fibrous joint. Unlike the synovial articulation of major joints, this is non-movable. Much the way the first seven ribs articulate with the sternum, the cartilage in the celiac plexus joins on the xiphoid process, reinforcing it, and indirectly attaches the costal cartilage to the sternum. In newborn babies and young infants, the tip of the xiphoid process may be both seen and felt as a lump ...

The above text is a snippet from Wikipedia: Xiphoid process
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

xiphoid process

Noun

  1. The cartilaginous extension of the lower sternum; the xiphisternum.


The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: xiphoid process
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

Need help with a clue?
Try your search in the crossword dictionary!