bursa of Fabricius

American  

noun

Ornithology.

1. a lymphoid gland of the cloaca in birds, believed to function in disease resistance, and closing or disappearing as the bird ages.

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Etymology

Origin of bursa of Fabricius

After Hieronymus Fabricius ab Aquapendente (1537–1619), Italian anatomist, who discovered it

Example Sentences

It recounted an 'accidental' finding about the bursa of Fabricius, an organ unique to birds that at the time was thought to have a hormonal role in growth and development.

From Nature • Jan. 5, 2015

The other type of lymphocyte, the B-cell, undergoes differentiation, in chickens, at least, in an organ called the bursa of Fabricius.

From Time Magazine Archive