sustentacular

American  

[suhs-tuhn-tak-yuh-ler] / ˌsʌs tənˈtæk yə lər /

adjective

Anatomy.

1. supporting.

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sustentacular British  

/ ˌsʌstɛnˈtækjʊlə /

adjective

1. anatomy (of fibres, cells, etc) supporting or forming a support

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Etymology

Origin of sustentacular

1885–90; < New Latin sustentācul ( um ) a support ( Latin sustentā ( re ), frequentative of sustinēre to sustain + -culum -cule ² ) + -ar ¹

Example Sentences

What the data show is that the virus is limited to this one type of cell called SUS, or sustentacular—cells in the olfactory tissue in the nasal cavity.

From Scientific American

Others were “sustentacular” cells, which seem to provide various kinds of support to the neurons: metabolic and physical, plus maintaining the right salt balance in the mucus that is essential for odor detection.

From New York Times

Just two days later, about half of the hamsters’ sustentacular cells were infected.

From Scientific American

It is uncertain whether the reorganization of the sustentacular cytoplasm occurs in autumn, in spring, or in the course of hibernation.

From Project Gutenberg

But sustentacular cells, which support olfactory neurons in important ways, are studded with the receptors.

From Scientific American