Epiphysis
/ɪˈpɪfɪsɪs/noun
A structure that grows upon another, especially the end region of a long bone or the pineal gland.
Did you know?René Descartes called the pineal gland the brain’s possible “seat of the soul,” while its Greek-derived name simply describes a growth arising upon another structure.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bʰuH-
“To grow, become, or come into being”
Ancient Greek
Greek
phýein
“To grow, produce, or bring forth”
Classical Greek
Greek
epíphysis
“A growth or something growing upon another structure”
Hellenistic–Roman Period
Greek/Latin
epiphysis
“An anatomical outgrowth or projecting growth”
17th Century
English
epiphysis
“An anatomical term for a projecting part, especially at the end of a bone”
Modern English
English
epiphysis
“The end region of a long bone, or the pineal gland in neuroanatomy”