MEDICAL BIOLOGY, HUMAN ANATOMY, PHYSIOLOGY AND PATHOLOGY - Y.I. Fedoniuk 2010

ANATOMY, PHYSIOLOGY, PATHOLOGY

SECTION 6. THE RESPIRATORY PROCESS AND ITS PATHology

PLEURA

The Pleura is a serous membrane that covers the Lungs on all sides and, in the region of the lung ROOT, reflects onto the walls of the thoracic cavity, forming a closed pleural sac around each lung (Fig. 6.9).

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Fig. 6.9. Diagram of the pleural and pericardial cavities (frontal section).

The layer of pleura that lines the walls of the thoracic cavity is called the parietal pleura. Depending on the area it covers, the costal, diaphragmatic, and mediastinal pleura are distinguished.

The pleura that covers the lungs and fuses with their surface is called the visceral (pulmonary) pleura. Between these two layers lies the pleural cavity, which contains 1-2 ml of serous fluid to reduce friction between the membranes during Respiration. In areas where one part of the parietal pleura transitions into another, pleural recesses (sinuses) are formed: the costomediastinal, costodiaphragmatic, and phrenicomediastinal sinuses.

These spaces are filled by the lungs during deep inspiration. At rest, their walls lie closely apposed to one another. The costodiaphragmatic recess is the largest of them.