Slender, hair-like processes.
Minute appendages to bacteria, of flagellar type but much smaller (seen only by electron microscopy) and very much greater in number than flagella, one organism bearing several hundreds. Fimbriae do not confer motility, but possess antigenic and haemag-glutinating properties. They occur principally among the enterobacteria, where they may complicate the performance of serological tests.
The term refers to a border made up of filamentous or fingerlike extensions, much like the ones forming the ends of the fallopian tubes that connect to the ovaries. These fimbriae play a crucial role during ovulation by guiding the egg into the fallopian tube.