membrane
/'membrein/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A thin, flexible layer of tissue: A membrane is a thin, soft, and often pliable sheet of biological material that covers, lines, separates, or connects organs, cells, or structures within animals and plants.
- A thin, flexible sheet of any material: In a broader, non-biological sense, a membrane can refer to any thin, pliable layer of material, often serving as a barrier or filter.
Examples of Usage
- Noun (Biological):
- The cell membrane controls what enters and leaves the cell.
- An infection can inflame the mucous membrane of the nose.
- Noun (General Material):
- The waterproof membrane keeps moisture from penetrating the roof.
- This filter uses a synthetic membrane to purify water.
Advanced Usage
- "Semi-permeable membrane": A membrane that allows certain molecules or ions to pass through while blocking others.
- Osmosis occurs across a semi-permeable membrane.
- "Basement membrane": A thin, delicate layer of extracellular matrix that underlies epithelial tissues.
- The basement membrane provides structural support to the epithelium.
Variants and Related Words
- Membranous (adj): Having the qualities of, or resembling, a membrane.
- The organ was enclosed in a membranous sac.
- Membrane-bound (adj): Enclosed by or attached to a membrane.
- Mitochondria are membrane-bound organelles.
Synonyms
- Layer: A sheet, quantity, or thickness of material covering a surface.
- Film: A thin layer or coating.
- Sheath: A protective covering or structure, often tubular.
Related Phrases
- Tympanic membrane: The medical term for the eardrum.
- A loud noise can rupture the tympanic membrane.
- Plasma membrane: Another term for the cell membrane.
- The plasma membrane is composed of a phospholipid bilayer.
Noun
- a pliable sheet of tissue that covers or lines or connects the organs or cells of animals or plants
- a thin pliable sheet of material