vocab answers...

 
Per Merriam-Webster:
propitiate: "to gain or regain the favor or goodwill of : appease"

fistula: "an abnormal passage that leads from an abscess or hollow organ or part to the body surface or from one hollow organ or part to another and that may be surgically created to permit passage of fluids or secretions

Origin of FISTULA
Middle English, from Latin, pipe, fistula
First Known Use: 14th century"

I like that fistula is for the Latin word for pipe, as it seems that is it's function, whether it occurs naturally, or is created during surgery ("for thereaputic reasons" per Wikipedia).

Okay, JUST so you know that I occasionally experience pain for this blog, I just clicked on (with great trepidation) "images" on the Google search page for fistula. I do NOT recommend this, considering one of the first types of fistulas listed in articles, frequently, is anal fistulas. Full color images.

oog.

ANYhow, I cannot recall any context wherein I learned fistula and, apparently inaccurately?, associate it with developmental physiology.

OH, I know why it makes me think of developmental phys: blastula (which kinda rhymes). THAT is a very basic thing in developmental biology.

Public domain image courtesy of Pidalka44. Thanks!

Wikipedia on blastula:
"The blastula (from Greek βλαστός (blastos), meaning "sprout") is a hollow sphere of cells formed during an early stage of embryonic development in animals. The blastula is created when the zygote undergoes the cell division process known as cleavage.[1] The blastula follows the morula and precedes the gastrula in the developmental sequence."

Alrighty.

Pretty much all of you intrepid guessers were either spot on or totally on the right track, so BULLY for ALL of you (Bub, Victoria, and Lynda).

=)

Thank you for participating, and certainly, as new on-the-edge-of-the-dust-bin words pop up in my mind, I will share them with you.

And perhaps together we can encourage those data managers in my (our?) head(s) to file those words BACK in the old brain case vs. chucking them (and my/our college education $$) out into the street.

After all, that'd be the low carbon footprint thing to do.

Refuse (verb) refuse (noun).

Reuse!

biobabbler