MUCOUSMEMBRANE

Mucous membrane

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

The above text is a snippet from Wikipedia: Mucous membrane
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

mucous membrane

Noun

  1. A membrane which secretes mucus. It forms the lining of various body passages that communicate with the air, such as the respiratory, genitourinary, and alimentary tracts including the mouth, nasal passages, vagina and urethra.


The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: mucous membrane
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

Need help with a clue?
Try your search in the crossword dictionary!