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ultimobranchial body

noun

: a hollow vesicle that is formed from the fourth pharyngeal pouch, may represent a fifth pharyngeal pouch, and gives rise to cells that produce calcitonin and later become incorporated into the thyroid gland in higher vertebrates or persist as distinct organs in birds and lower vertebrates

called also postbranchial body

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“Ultimobranchial body.” Merriam-Webster.com Medical Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/ultimobranchial%20body. Accessed 1 Dec. 2025.

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