serous membrane

American  

noun

Anatomy, Zoology.

1. any of various thin membranes, as the peritoneum, that line certain cavities of the body and exude a serous fluid.

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serous membrane British  

noun

1. any of the smooth moist delicate membranes, such as the pleura or peritoneum, that line the closed cavities of the body and secrete a watery exudate

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Etymology

Origin of serous membrane

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

serous membrane

If a bullet were to penetrate a lung, which three anterior thoracic body cavities would it enter, and which layer of the serous membrane would it encounter first?

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

The mesothelium is a simple squamous epithelium that forms the surface layer of the serous membrane that lines body cavities and internal organs.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

A fourth, the peritoneum, is the serous membrane in the abdominal cavity that covers abdominal organs and forms double sheets of mesenteries that suspend many of the digestive organs.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

The outer tunica vaginalis is a serous membrane that has both a parietal and a thin visceral layer.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

Peritonitis is an inflammation of the serous membrane lining the cavity of and covering the viscera contained within the abdomen.

From Special Report on Diseases of the Horse by Michener, Charles B.