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Caput
Caput has several definitions in the field of medicine.
One definition is the upper or front part of an animal's
body that contains the brain, special sense organs for
seeing (eyes), hearing (ears), smelling (nose), and
tasting (mouth), as well as other structures. When the
scalp of the newborn swells it is known as caput
succedaneum. A second definition is the top, front, or
larger extremity, rounded or expanded, of any organ,
body, or bodily structure. An extremity is one of the
ends of a long or pointed structure.
FEATURED BOOK: Anatomy and Physiology: The Unity of Form and Function
A third definition of caput is the end of a muscle that connects with the less moveable part
of the skeleton. A fourth definition of caput is the rounded end of a bone, usually long
bones such as the femur (the long bone of the leg) or the humerus (long bone of the arm).
The caput of the femur is known as the caput femoris (pictured above) and the caput of
the humerus is known as the caput humeri. These definitions of caput are also known as
head because it describes any head-like protruberance of an organ or body part.
More than one caput is known as capitus or capita. Caput is Latin for "head."
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