Meaning & use
serous membrane
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Meaning
nouncountablemedicalbiology
A thin double layer of tissue that lines a closed body cavity and covers the organs inside, producing a slippery fluid so organs glide without rubbing.
Grammar: A technical anatomy term; the plural is serous membranes.
Patterns
- the serous membrane of something
The pleura is a serous membrane that surrounds each lung.
Fluid from a serous membrane lets the heart move smoothly as it beats.
Inflammation of a serous membrane can cause sharp pain when you breathe.
Word forms
| plural | serous membranes |
|---|
Common combinations
- parietal serous membrane
- The parietal serous membrane lines the wall of the cavity.
- visceral serous membrane
- The visceral serous membrane covers the surface of the organ itself.
- inflamed serous membrane
- An inflamed serous membrane can fill with extra fluid.
- lined with a serous membrane
- The abdominal cavity is lined with a serous membrane.
Synonyms and how they differ
- serosa
- Serosa is a shorter anatomical name for the same tissue, often used for the outer layer of an organ.
- mucous membrane
- A mucous membrane is a different kind of lining that makes sticky mucus and opens to the outside of the body, so it is not a synonym.
Word family
Commonly confused: serous membrane or mucous membrane? serous membrane or serious?
serous membrane vs mucous membrane
A mucous membrane lines passages that open to the outside, such as the nose and mouth, and makes mucus. A serous membrane lines closed cavities and makes thin watery fluid.
serous membrane vs serious
Serious means grave or important and is pronounced differently; serous only means watery or relating to serum.
Practice
Which structure is an example of a serous membrane?
Choose one answer.
The pleura lines the chest cavity and covers the lungs, making it a serous membrane. The nose and mouth linings are mucous membranes, and skin is not a membrane of this type.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “serous membrane”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.