Mucous membrane

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mucous membrane

LAYERS: serosa longitudinal muscle myenteric plexus circular muscle submucosal plexus submucosal mucosal

Section of the human esophagus. Moderately magnified. The section is transverse and from near the middle of the gullet. a. Fibrous covering. b. Divided fibers of longitudinal muscular coat. c. Transverse muscular fibers. d. Submucous or areolar layer. e. Muscularis mucosae. f. Mucous membrane, with vessels and part of a lymphoid nodule. g. Stratified epithelial lining. h. Mucous gland. i. Gland duct. m’. Striated muscular fibers cut across.
Latin	tunica mucosa
Gray's	subject #242 1110
Dorlands/Elsevier	Mucous membrane

The mucous membranes (or mucosae; singular mucosa) are linings of mostly endodermal origin, covered in epithelium, which are involved in absorption and secretion. They line various body cavities that are exposed to the external environment and internal organs. It is at several places continuous with skin: at the nostrils, the lips, the ears, the genital area, and the anus. The sticky, thick fluid secreted by the mucous membranes and gland is termed mucus. The term mucous membrane refers to where they are found in the body and not every mucous membrane secretes mucus.

Body cavities featuring mucous membrane include most of the respiratory system. The glans penis (head of the penis) and glans clitoridis and the inside of the prepuce (foreskin) and clitoral hood are mucous membranes; the urethra is also a mucous membrane. The secreted mucus traps the pathogens in the body, preventing any further activities of diseases.

1 Components
2 Some examples of mucosa
3 Additional images
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Components

Epithelium
Lamina propria
Smooth muscle/Muscularis mucosa/ (GI tract)

[edit] Some examples of mucosa

[edit] Additional images

Wall of the ureter.

Section of mucous membrane of human stomach, near the cardiac orifice.

General structure of the gut wall showing the Mucosa.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

mucosa at eMedicine Dictionary
Organology at UC Davis Digestive/mammal/system1/system4 - "Mammal, whole system (LM, Low)"
MeSH Mucous+Membrane

v • d • e Tissue layers

Outer	Mesothelium · Serosa / Adventitia · Muscularis externa (outer and inner) · Submucosa

Inner	Mucosa (Muscularis mucosa, Lamina propria, Epithelium) · Lumen

This anatomy article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mucous_membrane"

Categories: Membrane biology | Anatomy stubs