Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
mesothelium

mesothelium

1 9.9
A thin layer of cells that covers organs and spaces inside the body and makes fluid to help them move
  • noun
  • /ˌmɛzəˈθiliəm/
  • Specialized
: mesotelio
  • The mesothelium acts as a protective layer over organs in the abdominal cavity.

Examples

  • Based on initial reports of solitary fibrous tumors, some authors postulated that these tumors had a mesothelial origin because they had been noted to arise only from mesothelium-lined surfaces.

    Academic text (2006)

  • The surgeon carefully examined the mesothelium surrounding the patient's lungs.

  • Melanoma tissue constructs within mesothelium could be the safe ...

    Blog text (22)

  • Inflammation of the mesothelium can lead to serious respiratory issues.

Synonyms

epithelium
vsmesothelium
  • Specialized
2 9.1

A thin layer of cells that covers body surfaces and lines organs

is a specialized lining derived from embryonic mesoderm for serous cavities
epithelial tissue
vsmesothelium
  • Specialized
1 4.3

A thin layer of cells that covers body surfaces and lines internal organs and cavities

is narrower, naming a lining made from mesoderm and for body cavities

Surface Forms

mesothelium singular
mesothelia plural

Morphology

mesothelium = meso + thelium

The word is built from Greek combining forms 'meso-' (middle) + 'thelium' (relating to a tissue layer), so the structure is analyzable for learners with some biomedical knowledge but is technical and not transparent to general B1 learners.

Etymology

The word mesothelium comes from the Greek parts meso- meaning 'middle' and -thelium, the same ending seen in epithelium, meaning a 'covering' of cells. So mesothelium is the 'middle covering' layer of cells that lines the body's cavities and organs.