Levee
Levee (Medicine)
Levee (pronounced: /ˈlɛvi/) is a term used in medicine, particularly in the field of neurology, to describe a natural or artificial wall or embankment erected to prevent the overflow of a body fluid. The term is derived from the French word levée, meaning "raised".
Etymology
The term levee is borrowed from the French levée, which is the feminine past participle of lever, meaning "to raise". It was first used in English in the late 16th century to describe an embankment preventing the overflow of a river. In the medical context, it is used metaphorically to describe a barrier preventing the overflow of body fluids.
Usage in Medicine
In medicine, a levee can refer to a natural or artificial barrier that prevents the overflow of body fluids. For example, the blood-brain barrier can be considered a type of levee as it prevents substances in the blood from entering the brain. Similarly, the pericardium, a double-walled sac that contains the heart and the roots of the great vessels, can also be considered a levee as it prevents the overflow of blood.
Related Terms
- Blood-brain barrier: A semipermeable border that separates the circulating blood from the brain and extracellular fluid in the central nervous system.
- Pericardium: A double-walled sac that contains the heart and the roots of the great vessels.
- Endothelium: The thin layer of cells that lines the interior surface of blood vessels, forming an interface between circulating blood in the lumen and the rest of the vessel wall. It can be considered a type of levee as it prevents the overflow of blood.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Levee
- Wikipedia's article - Levee
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