mediastinum

American  

[mee-dee-a-stahy-nuhm] / ˌmi di æˈstaɪ nəm /

noun

Anatomy.

• mediastina
  plural

1. a median septum or partition between two parts of an organ, or paired cavities of the body.

2. the partition separating the right and left thoracic cavities, formed of the two inner pleural walls, and, in humans, comprising all the viscera of the thorax except the lungs.

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mediastinum British  

/ ˌmiːdɪəˈstaɪnəm /

noun

1. a membrane between two parts of an organ or cavity such as the pleural tissue between the two lungs

2. the part of the thoracic cavity that lies between the lungs, containing the heart, trachea, etc

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• mediastinal
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• mediastina
  plural

Etymology

Origin of mediastinum

1535–45; < New Latin; compare mediastīnus of middle class, apparently identical with Latin mediast ( r ) īnus a low-ranking slave, perhaps derivative of medius mid ¹, though sense and formation unclear

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mediastinum

As you can see in Figure 23.13, the esophagus runs a mainly straight route through the mediastinum of the thorax.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

Each pericardial artery supplies blood to the pericardium, the esophageal artery provides blood to the esophagus, and the mediastinal artery provides blood to the mediastinum.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

Figure 19.2 Position of the Heart in the Thorax The heart is located within the thoracic cavity, medially between the lungs in the mediastinum.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

The right and left pleurae, which enclose the right and left lungs, respectively, are separated by the mediastinum.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

It may find its way downwards towards the mediastinum, inwards towards the pharynx—where it constitutes one form of retro-pharyngeal abscess—or upwards towards the base of the skull.

From Manual of Surgery Volume Second: Extremities—Head—Neck. Sixth Edition. by Alexander Miles