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

A serous membrane is an epithelial membrane composed of mesodermally derived epithelium called the mesothelium that is supported by connective tissue.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

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

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 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

The inner surface of the heart is lined by a serous membrane, the endocardium, which is smooth and firmly adherent to the muscular structure of the heart.

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