What is the anatomical name for the thin lining around the lungs?

What is the anatomical name for the thin lining around the lungs?

• A. Peritoneum
• B. Alveolar membrane
• C. Pleura
• D. Endothelium

Answer: (C)

Focus on naming the lining around the lungs. That lining is the pleura, a serous membrane that covers the lungs (visceral pleura) and lines the chest cavity (parietal pleura), with a small pleural space between them that contains lubricating fluid. This arrangement lets the lungs glide smoothly as you breathe. The other terms refer to different structures: the peritoneum lines the abdominal cavity, the endothelium lines blood vessels, and the alveolar membrane is part of the gas-exchange barrier inside the lungs, not the lining around them.

Focus on naming the lining around the lungs. That lining is the pleura, a serous membrane that covers the lungs (visceral pleura) and lines the chest cavity (parietal pleura), with a small pleural space between them that contains lubricating fluid. This arrangement lets the lungs glide smoothly as you breathe. The other terms refer to different structures: the peritoneum lines the abdominal cavity, the endothelium lines blood vessels, and the alveolar membrane is part of the gas-exchange barrier inside the lungs, not the lining around them.