Septum facts for kids

A septum (Latin: something that encloses; plural Septa) is a partition separating two cavities or spaces. Examples include:

• Nasal Septum: the cartilage wall separating the nostrils of the human nose. Often deviated or perforated septums are caused through physical injury.
• Cephalopod Septa: walls between each chamber, or siphuncle, in shells of nautiloids, ammonites, and belemnites; i.e. cephalopods that retain an external shell.
• The wall dividing the right side of the heart from the left side.

Fungi produce septa to partition filamentous hyphae into discrete cells.

Images for kids

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  The lingual septum can be seen running vertically through the center of the tongue.

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  Alveolar septa (AS)

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  Septins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

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  Septate hyphae of the fungus Alternaria, showing the septa between individual cells.

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  A tomato has septa that divide the fruit into chambers (locules) that contain the seeds.

See also

In Spanish: Septo para niños