Membrane

n.

1.

(Anat.) A thin layer or fold of tissue, usually supported by a fibrous network, serving to cover or line some part or organ, and often secreting or absorbing certain fluids. Adventitious membrane a membrane connecting parts not usually connected, or of a different texture from the ordinary connection; as, the membrane of a cicatrix. Jacob's membrane See under Retina. Mucous membranes (Anat.) the membranes lining passages and cavities which communicate with the exterior, as well as ducts and receptacles of secretion, and habitually secreting mucus. Schneiderian membrane (Anat.) See Schneiderian. Serous membranes (Anat.) , the membranes, like the peritoneum and pleura, which line, or lie in, cavities having no obvious outlet, and secrete a serous fluid.

Noun	1.	membrane - a thin pliable sheet of material
	2.	membrane - a pliable sheet of tissue that covers or lines or connects organs or cells of animals Synonyms: tissue layer

Pronunciation: (MEM-brane) A thin sheet or layer of tissue that lines a cavity or separates two parts of the body. A membrane can act as a filter, allowing some particles to pass from one part of the body to another while keeping others where they are. The membrane in a dialyzer filters waste products from the blood.

allantoic membrane, amnion, amniotic sac, arachnoid membrane, basement membrane, coat, coating, collop, conjuctiva, covering, cut, deal, disk, eardrum, feuille, film, flap, foil, fold, hymen, lamella, lamina, laminated glass, laminated wood, lap, leaf, maidenhead, membrana serosa, membrana tympana, meninges, meninx, neurilemma, pane, panel, patina, peel, pellicle, pericardium, perineurium, plait, plank, plate, plating, pleura, ply, plywood, rasher, safety glass, scum, serosa, sheet, skin, slab, slat, slice, table, tablet, tympanic membrane, tympanum, velum, veneer, wafer