pleura
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1. Esophagus. 2. Parietal pleura. 3. Parietal pleura over the diaphragm
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Also known as the pleural membrane, the double cavity that lines the thoracic cavity and covers the exterior surface of the lungs. The pleura is a serous membrane forming a closed sac, with a small space, called the pleural cavity, between the two layers. The parietal layer of the pleura is firmly fixed on the outside to the chest wall, on the inside to the fibrous compartment called the mediastinum in which the heart lies, and underneath to the upper surface of the diaphragm. The visceral pleura is very thin and the lung tissue shows through it quite clearly.
In certain lung infections the pleura become inflamed. This condition is called pleurisy
Related category
• ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY
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