Anlage

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An anlage in biology refers to the primordial precursor of a tissue or organ, which is still recognisable as a collection of cells that will form that specific tissue.

The term is commonly used in medicine to refer to organs, such as the pancreas, when one is describing anatomical variants and the embryological processes that lead to them. It also forms part of the name of some very rare neoplasms, e.g. pineal anlage tumor.

Terms used in radiology