What is the pleural cavity?

The space enclosed by the pleura, which is a thin layer of tissue that covers the lungs and lines the interior wall of the chest cavity.

What word part means pleural cavity?

thoracic cavity
thoracic cavity the portion of the ventral body cavity situated between the neck and the diaphragm; it contains the pleural cavity.

What does pleural mean in anatomy?

Pleura, plural pleurae, or pleuras, membrane lining the thoracic cavity (parietal pleura) and covering the lungs (visceral pleura). The parietal pleura folds back on itself at the root of the lung to become the visceral pleura. In health the two pleurae are in contact.

What is the pleural cavity quizlet?

The pleural cavity is a potential space between the parietal and visceral pleura. Normally each cavity contains only a small amount of serous fluid, allowing the lung, which is covered by visceral pleura, to slide freely over the parietal pleura. Medially the wall of each pleural cavity is the mediastinum.

Which is the correct definition of the term pleural cavity?

pleural cavity. noun. : the space that is formed when the two layers of the pleura spread apart. — called also pleural space.

Where is the pleural space in the lungs?

The pleural space is a thin area between the chest lining and the membrane that lines the lungs. Fluid lubricates the layers of the pleura so they slide smoothly alongside each other when you breathe. When the membranes become inflamed, they rub painfully against each other instead.

Are there two types of pleura in the thoracic cavity?

The pleurae are two layers of serous membrane that form the boundaries of the pleural cavity. There are two types of pleura; parietal and visceral. The parietal pleura is the thicker and more durable outer layer that lines the inner aspect of the thoracic cavity and the mediastinum.

What causes a pleural tumor in the lungs?

The Mechanics of Pleural Tumors. They also can develop due to the pleura’s direct contact with cancer tissue pressing in from the lungs. Once there, these cells can produce one or more tumors. Metastatic pleural tumors usually cause a pleural effusion—the accumulation of an abnormal amount of pleural fluid in the chest cavity space.