What is fusiform?

What Does fusiform Mean

To know the meaning of the term fusiform it is necessary, first of all, to know its etymological origin. In this case, we can underline that it is a word that derives from Latin, it is exactly the result of the sum of two lexical components of that language:

-The noun “fusus”, which can be translated as “spindle”.

-The word "form", which is synonymous with "figure" or "image".

The fusiform adjective allows us to qualify what has the shape of a spindle (an instrument of greater length than width that is used for spinning).
At a general level, therefore, it is called fusiform to that of elongated appearance , with narrower tips than the central part. There are spindle-shaped elements in nature , while others are man-made with this type of structure.

Many aquatic animals have fusiform bodies . These species have evolved in such a way that they can move with agility in the aquatic environment: thanks to having a spindle-shaped body, they can swim at high speed and thus hunt or escape from their predators.
Specifically, we can establish that dolphins and even sharks are spindle species. It is precisely this unique morphology that they possess that leads them to move in the water more easily than other species. This uniqueness is considered to be the result of what is called evolutionary convergence.
In addition to everything indicated, we must not overlook the fact that there are other animals that also have that particularity in terms of their physical appearance. We are referring to the so-called dithiscids, which are a family of aquatic-type adéphagous beetles. They are identified because they are not only good fliers but also excellent swimmers.
They have a size that ranges between 2 and 45 millimeters, they carry out a carnivorous diet, what are the larvae are also aquatic and it should be noted that there is a great variety of species within them. Specifically, it is estimated that there are some 5,000 different ones, among the most significant some such as the celina, the hygrotus, the acilius, the coelambus, the bidessus and the agabus.
Following the same logic, vehicles that move through water or air tend to be spindle-shaped as well. The submarines and airplanes are elongated machines, by this configuration, able to reduce the resistance exerted by the displacement medium.
In the human body, on the other hand, we can find fusiform muscles . These muscles are characterized by their range of motion, made possible by the path they take to shorten their fibers. When a footballer kicks a ball (a ball), he calls on various spindle muscles to lift his leg and then forcefully propel it forward.

It should be noted that muscle tissue is made up of spindle cells : that is, elongated cells. Their constitution allows them to intertwine with each other and couple to compose the fibers .