Definition of insula in English:
insula
nounPlural insulae ˈɪnsjʊləˈinsələ
1(in ancient Rome) a tenement in a city.
Example sentencesExamples
- Then in the residential areas were the insulae.
- These flats were known as insulae and only contained two rooms at the most.
- Most Romans lived in multi-storied apartment buildings called insula.
- In the reign of Hadrian a forum/basilica complex was constructed, and slightly later a set of public baths in the insula to the east of the forum.
- The hole from the roof was tiny, given that the building was in the grand Roman insulae tradition, built three storeys high, but it still gave a feeling of wealth to the home.
2Anatomy
A region of the brain deep in the cerebral cortex.
Example sentencesExamples
- The insular cortex is indented by a number of sulci, one of which - the central sulcus of the insula - is deeper and more prominent than the rest.
- While rejecting an offer, increased brain activity was observed in the anterior insula, which is associated with negative emotions such as disgust.
- A few seconds later, presumably as the person responded to the humor, brain regions called the insula and amygdala became active across both hemispheres of the brain.
- The areas most affected were the superior temporal, anterior insula, and orbitofrontal cortices.
- The insula relays messages between imitation and emotion regions, Iacoboni suggests.
Origin
Latin, literally 'island'.