2007-10-23 04:23:56 · 3 answers · asked by gayle j 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Medicine
Great question.
A "canal" and a "foremen" are different structures. A canal is literally a tunnel - a bore through solid matter that permits the passage of something, such as the auditory canal - which permits sound waves to impact the ear drum.
A foramen, however, is an indentation, typically in a bone, that permits something else to nestle in, such as the temporal foramen, which permits the edge of the mandible to fit against the side of the skull.
2007-10-23 06:16:31 · answer #1 · answered by evanbartlett 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Canal implies a structure with some length to it.
A foramen is just a friggin' hole.
2007-10-23 12:25:34 · answer #2 · answered by XOUT 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's hard to improve on XOUT's colorful explanation. However, my paranoid delusion is that 600 years ago some medieval anatomist chuckled to himself, thinking that 550 years from now, this inconsistency will drive Greydoc crazy.
Chopin had the same malicious intent when he composed all those pieces using the black keys on the piano.
2007-10-23 14:38:32 · answer #3 · answered by greydoc6 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋