glomus

Meanings

1. A fold of the mesothelium arising near the base of the mesentery in the pronephron, and containing a ball of blood vessels.
2. A highly organized vessel that connects an artery and a vein (bypassing capillaries) in an extremity such as a finger, toe, or ear or in another organ that is not part of the body's core. The glomus regulates the flow of blood, controlling temperature in order to conserve heat in the organ and, indirectly, controls the blood pressure and other functions of the circulatory system.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin glomus (“ball-shaped mass”).