tubule
noun
tu·bule
ˈtü-(ˌ)byül 
ˈtyü-
: a small tube
especially
: a slender elongated anatomical channel
Examples of tubule in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Williams and his team spent five years developing a system that combined an AI algorithm for detecting sperm with a fluidic chip that passed the semen sample through a tiny tubule on a plastic chip.
—
Alice Park, Time, 10 June 2025
And what the team thought were tubules lined with dentine were actually more similar to sensilla.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 21 May 2025
To investigate, the authors of a recent study in Nature Communications explored how microgravity and galactic cosmic radiation affect kidney function—particularly parts of the kidney called tubules, which help to maintain healthy salt and mineral levels.
—Max Springer, Scientific American, 11 Sep. 2024
When microgravity shifts the body’s distribution of internal fluids, kidney tubules tend to shrink; this action hinders the organ’s ability to properly filter calcium and salts, increasing the risk of kidney stones and other health issues.
—Max Springer, Scientific American, 11 Sep. 2024
Certain medical conditions, such as chronic diarrhea, rare genetic disorders of phosphorus metabolism, hyperparathyroidism, kidney tubule defects, and diabetic ketoacidosis, as well as critical illness, can also cause phosphorus deficiencies.
—Jillian Kubala, Health, 8 July 2024
The remnants of the xylem and phloem — tubules that transport water, sugars and nutrients throughout living leaves — somehow become a root.
—Douglas Main, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2024
The glomerulus does the filtering, while the tubule sends blood and other crucial material back into the bloodstream.
—Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 16 Feb. 2024
According to the National Cancer Insitute, renal cell cancer occurs when cancer cells are found in the lining of the tubules in the kidney.
—Joelle Goldstein, PEOPLE.com, 10 Sep. 2019
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Alice Park, Time, 10 June 2025
And what the team thought were tubules lined with dentine were actually more similar to sensilla.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 21 May 2025
To investigate, the authors of a recent study in Nature Communications explored how microgravity and galactic cosmic radiation affect kidney function—particularly parts of the kidney called tubules, which help to maintain healthy salt and mineral levels.
—Max Springer, Scientific American, 11 Sep. 2024
When microgravity shifts the body’s distribution of internal fluids, kidney tubules tend to shrink; this action hinders the organ’s ability to properly filter calcium and salts, increasing the risk of kidney stones and other health issues.
—Max Springer, Scientific American, 11 Sep. 2024
Certain medical conditions, such as chronic diarrhea, rare genetic disorders of phosphorus metabolism, hyperparathyroidism, kidney tubule defects, and diabetic ketoacidosis, as well as critical illness, can also cause phosphorus deficiencies.
—Jillian Kubala, Health, 8 July 2024
The remnants of the xylem and phloem — tubules that transport water, sugars and nutrients throughout living leaves — somehow become a root.
—Douglas Main, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2024
The glomerulus does the filtering, while the tubule sends blood and other crucial material back into the bloodstream.
—Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 16 Feb. 2024
According to the National Cancer Insitute, renal cell cancer occurs when cancer cells are found in the lining of the tubules in the kidney.
—Joelle Goldstein, PEOPLE.com, 10 Sep. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Tubule.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tubule. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tubule
noun
tu·bule
ˈt(y)ü-(ˌ)byü(ə)l
: a small tube
especially
: a long slender channel in the body of a living thing
Medical Definition
tubule
noun
tu·bule
ˈt(y)ü-(ˌ)byü(ə)l
: a small tube
especially
: a slender elongated anatomical channel
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