Pleura of the lungs
Pleura of the lungs
The pleura includes two thin layers of tissue that protect and cushion the lungs. The inner layer (visceral pleura) wraps around the lungs and is stuck so tightly to the lungs that it cannot be peeled off. The outer layer (parietal pleura) lines the inside of the chest wall. The very thin space between the layers is called the pleural cavity. A liquid, called pleural fluid, lubricates the pleural cavity so that the two layers of pleural tissue can slide against each other.
Credits
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Robert L. Cowie, MB, FCP(SA), MD, MSc, MFOM - Pulmonology |
| Last Updated | August 17, 2007 |
| Last updated: | August 17, 2007 |
|---|---|
| Reviewed By: | Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine, Robert L. Cowie, MB, FCP(SA), MD, MSc, MFOM - Pulmonology |
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