Alveoli

[Spicerack]

is given as the answer for 'sockets which accommodate the roots of teeth' (7) in the ST Jumbo Crossword.
Didn't pay much attention in Biology but I'd have bet good money on Alveoli being in the lungs.
I could google but wondered what other ABers thought first.

[geevo41]

alveolus
[ al-vee-uh-luhs ]SHOW IPA


See synonyms for alveolus on Thesaurus.com
noun, plural al·ve·o·li [al-vee-uh-lahy].
a little cavity, pit, or cell, as a cell of a honeycomb.
an air cell of the lungs, formed by the terminal dilation of tiny air passageways.
one of the terminal secretory units of a racemose gland.
the socket within the jawbone in which the root or roots of a tooth are set.

[JJ109]

Two different alveoli. I had not heard of the dental ones either!

"Dental alveoli are sockets in the jaws in which the roots of teeth are held in the alveolar process of maxilla with theperiodontal ligament. The lay term for dental alveoli is tooth sockets. A joint that connects the roots of the teeth and the alveolus is called gomphosis"

"Tiny air sacs at the end of the bronchioles (tiny branches of air tubes in the lungs). The alveoli are where the lungs and the blood exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide during the process of breathing in and breathing out.

[Spicerack]

Cheers all. It does seem odd to give the same name for different parts of the body. Be careful if you have your tooth cavities filled in. ;-)