What is the pleura?

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The the pleura is called the pleura. Gray's Anatomy (1918) describes it as a thin, double-layered membrane surrounding each lung.

Summary

The the pleura is called the pleura. Gray's Anatomy (1918) describes it as a thin, double-layered membrane surrounding each lung.

What it is

  • A thin, double-layered membrane surrounding each lung.
  • Has a visceral layer on the lung and a parietal layer on the chest wall.
  • The two layers are separated by a thin film of lubricating fluid.

Where it is

  • Lines the inside of the chest wall.
  • Folds back over the surface of each lung.
  • The two pleural cavities are entirely separate from each other.

Sources

According to Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body (1918, public domain):

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