Kanji: 腺 (Gland)
The kanji 腺 has a specific biological meaning, representing a "gland" in the body. A gland is an organ or cell that produces and releases substances like hormones, sweat, or saliva.
Key Reading:
On-yomi (Sino-Japanese reading): セン (sen)
Common Words & Usage:
腺 (sen) - Noun. A gland.
汗腺 (kansen) - Noun. Sweat gland.
涙腺 (ruisen) - Noun. Tear gland. Often used in the phrase 涙腺が緩む (ruisen ga yurumu) - "to be moved to tears."
甲状腺 (kōjōsen) - Noun. Thyroid gland.
Example Sentence:
Japanese: その感動的な映画は私の涙腺を緩ませた。
Romaji: Sono kandō-teki na eiga wa watashi no ruisen o yurumaseta.
English: That touching movie loosened my tear ducts (made me cry).
Learning the correct stroke order for kanji like 腺 is essential for balanced, legible Japanese handwriting and is a fundamental part of mastering kanji writing.