pleura
Use Pleura in a sentence
[ploo
r-uh] . Entomology. 1700–10; < Greek pleurón rib, (plural) side
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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| the serous membrane of the parietal layer |
| yellowish flexible cartilage, the matrix is infiltrated by a network of elastic fibers |
pleura (ˈplʊərə) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n , pl pleurae | |
| 1. | the thin transparent serous membrane enveloping the lungs and lining the walls of the thoracic cavity |
| 2. | the plural of pleuron |
| [C17: via Medieval Latin from Greek: side, rib] | |
| 'pleural | |
| —adj | |
| pleuron (ˈplʊərɒn) | |
| —n , pl pleura | |
| the part of the cuticle of arthropods that covers the lateral surface of a body segment | |
| [C18: from Greek: side] | |
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pleura pleu·ra (pl&oobreve;r'ə)
n. pl. pleu·rae (pl&oobreve;r'ē)
The thin serous membrane that envelops each lung and folds back to make a lining for the chest cavity.
pleu'ral adj.
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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pleura (pl r'ə) Pronunciation Key
Plural pleurae (pl r'ē)
A membrane that encloses each lung and lines the chest cavity. |
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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pleura
membrane lining the thoracic cavity (parietal pleura) and covering the lungs (visceral pleura). The parietal pleura folds back on itself at the root of the lung to become the visceral pleura. In health the two pleurae are in contact. When the lung collapses, however, or when air or liquid collects between the two membranes, the pleural cavity or sac becomes apparent (see pleurisy). There are actually two pleural cavities, the right and the left; each constitutes a closed unit not connected to the other. The glistening surface of the pleura is made up of a sheet of flat cells, the mesothelium, which covers an underlying layer of loose elastic tissue. The pleura exudes a thin fluid that keeps it moist and lubricated.
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