A small rounded flask or vessel; in anatomy, a dilated part of a tube or duct in the body, especially found in the inner ear or reproductive organs.
From Latin ampulla (a small bottle or flask, diminutive of amphora). The Romans used this word for small containers; modern anatomy borrowed it for body structures.
Your inner ear contains the ampullae—tiny fluid-filled sacs that sense motion and keep you balanced. You're using ancient Roman vocabulary every time your body figures out which way is up!
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