Types

There are a variety of valleculae in the human body

Human body

The human body is the entire structure of a human organism, and consists of a head, neck, torso, two arms and two legs.By the time the human reaches adulthood, the body consists of close to 100 trillion cells, the basic unit of life...

, including one between the hemispheres of the brain

Brain

The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals—only a few primitive invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, sea squirts and starfishes do not have one. It is located in the head, usually close to primary sensory apparatus such as vision, hearing,...

, on the inferior surface of the cerebellum

Cerebellum

The cerebellum is a region of the brain that plays an important role in motor control. It may also be involved in some cognitive functions such as attention and language, and in regulating fear and pleasure responses, but its movement-related functions are the most solidly established...

, in which the medulla oblongata

Medulla oblongata

The medulla oblongata is the lower half of the brainstem. In discussions of neurology and similar contexts where no ambiguity will result, it is often referred to as simply the medulla...

 is located (vallecula of cerebellum

Vallecula of cerebellum

On the upper surface of the cerebellum the vermis is elevated above the level of the hemispheres, but on the under surface it is sunk almost out of sight in the bottom of a deep depression between them; this depression is called the vallecula of the cerebellum, and lodges the posterior part of the...

). Other common valleculae are: in the nail matrix, and in the throat

Throat

In vertebrate anatomy, the throat is the anterior part of the neck, in front of the vertebral column. It consists of the pharynx and larynx...

.

Used alone, the term "vallecula" usually refers to the epiglottic vallecula

Epiglottic vallecula

The epiglottic vallecula is a depression just behind the root of the tongue between the folds in the throat. These depressions serve as "spit traps"; saliva is temporarily held in the valleculae to prevent initiation of the swallowing reflex....

.

Etymology

"Vallecula" comes from the Latin word "valles", meaning "valley", and is in the diminutive form of the word, so a vallecula is literally a "little valley".