What it means
A thin sheet. Mucous membranes line passages that open to the outside, such as the mouth and gut; serous membranes line closed body spaces, such as the pleura around the lungs; and the meninges cover the brain. In pregnancy, "the membranes" are the sac around the baby, and their rupture is the water breaking. Each cell is also wrapped in a cell membrane.
At a glance
| Spanish | membrana |
|---|---|
| Also written | membranes, membranous |
Related terms
mucosa
The moist lining of body passages that open to the outside, such as the mouth, nose, gut and bladder.
rupture
A tear or burst in an organ, vessel, tissue or membrane.
mucous
Relating to mucus or making mucus, as in mucous membrane.
osmosis
The movement of water across a membrane from a less concentrated solution to a more concentrated one.