Polycephaly
Polycephaly
Polycephaly (pronunciation: /pɒlɪˈsɛfəli/) is a condition of having more than one head. The term is derived from the Greek words "poly" meaning 'many' and "kephale" meaning 'head'.
Etymology
The term "Polycephaly" is derived from the Greek words "poly" (πολύς), which means 'many', and "kephale" (κεφαλή), which means 'head'.
Definition
Polycephaly is a condition of having more than one head. In medical terms, it is a type of congenital disorder that results in an organism being born with more than one head. This condition is most commonly observed in animals, particularly reptiles and amphibians, but can also occur in humans, although it is extremely rare.
Related Terms
- Conjoined twins: A type of identical twins that are physically connected to each other in some way. Polycephaly is a form of conjoined twinning.
- Diprosopus: A congenital defect also known as craniofacial duplication. The animals, or rarely humans, afflicted with this condition have part or all of their face duplicated on their head.
- Bicephaly: A type of polycephaly where an organism has two heads. It is a specific type of polycephaly.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Polycephaly
- Wikipedia's article - Polycephaly
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