mesothelium
Sign in to saveThe mesothelium is a membrane composed of simple squamous epithelial cells of mesodermal origin, which forms the lining of several body cavities: the pleura (pleural cavity around the lungs), peritoneum (abdominopelvic cavity including the mesentery, greater and lesser omentum, falciform ligament and the perimetrium) and pericardium (around the heart).
Key facts
- Anatomy.Name
- Mesothelium
- Anatomy.Latin
- mesothelium
- Anatomy.Image
- Cytology of normal mesothelium.jpg
- Anatomy.Caption
- Cytology of normal mesothelial cells, with typical features. Wright's stain
- Anatomy.Image2
- File:Histology of the mesothelial lining of a hernia sac.jpg
- Anatomy.Caption2
- Histology of a cross-section of the peritoneal mesothelial lining, and underlying fibrous tissue. H&E stain.
- Anatomy.Precursor
- Somatopleuric mesenchyme
via Wikipedia infobox
~5 min read
Encyclopedic overview
7 sectionsContents
- Origin
- Structure
- Function
- Role in disease
- See also
- References
- External links
The mesothelium is a membrane composed of simple squamous epithelial cells of mesodermal origin, which forms the lining of several body cavities: the pleura (pleural cavity around the lungs), peritoneum (abdominopelvic cavity including the mesentery, greater and lesser omentum, falciform ligament and the perimetrium) and pericardium (around the heart).
Mesothelial tissue also surrounds the male testis (as the tunica vaginalis) and occasionally the spermatic cord (in a patent processus vaginalis). Mesothelium that covers the internal organs is called visceral mesothelium, while one that covers the surrounding body walls is called the parietal mesothelium. The mesothelium that secretes serous fluid as a main function is also known as a serosa.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “mesothelium” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.