Mucous membrane - wikipedia Mucous membrane Mucous membrane Histological section taken from the gastric antrum, showing the mucosa of the stomach Details Precursor endoderm Identifiers Latin tunica mucosa MeSH D009092 Dorlands / Elsevier Mucous membrane Anatomical terminology ( edit on Wikidata ) This article is one of a series on the Gastrointestinal wall General structure Epithelium Mucosa Submucosa Circular muscle Longitudinal muscle Serosa Adventitia Specific Meissner 's plexus Auerbach 's plexus Organs Esophagus Stomach Intestines A mucous membrane or mucosa is a membrane that lines various cavities in the body and covers the surface of internal organs. It consists of one or more layers of epithelial cells overlying a layer of loose connective tissue. It is mostly of endodermal origin and is continuous with the skin at various body openings such as the eyes, ears, inside the nose, inside the mouth, lip, the urethral opening and the anus. Some mucous membranes secrete mucus, a thick protective fluid. The function of the membrane is to stop pathogens and dirt from entering the body and to prevent bodily tissues from becoming dehydrated. Contents 1 Structure 1.1 Development 2 Function 2.1 Nutrition 3 See also 4 References Structure The mucosa of organs are composed of one or more layers of epithelial cells that secrete mucus, and an underlying lamina propria of loose connective tissue. The type of cells and type of mucus secreted vary from organ to organ and each can differ along a given tract. Mucous membranes line the digestive, respiratory, and reproductive tracts and are the primary barrier between the external world and the interior of the body ; in an adult human the total surface area of the mucosa is about 400 square meters while the surface area of the skin is about 2 square meters. They are at several places contiguous with skin : at the nostrils, the lips of the mouth, the eyelids, the ears, the trachea, the stomach, the genital area, and the anus. Along with providing a physical barrier, they also contain key parts of the immune system and serves as the interface between the body proper and the microbiome. Some examples include : Bronchial mucosa and the lining of vocal folds Endometrium : the mucosa of the uterus Esophageal mucosa Gastric mucosa Intestinal mucosa Nasal mucosa Olfactory mucosa Oral mucosa Penile mucosa Vaginal mucosa Frenulum of tongue Tongue Anal canal Development Developmentally, the majority of mucous membranes are of endodermal origin. Exceptions include the palate, cheeks, floor of the mouth, gums, lips and the portion of the anal canal below the pectinate line, which are all ectodermal in origin. Function One of its functions is to keep the tissue moist ( for example in the respiratory tract, including the mouth and nose ). It also plays a role in absorbing and transforming nutrients. Mucous membranes also protect the body from itself ; for instance mucosa in the stomach protects it from stomach acid, and mucosa lining the bladder protects the underlying tissue from urine. In the uterus, the mucous membrane is called the endometrium, and it swells each month and is then eliminated during menstruation. Nutrition Niacin and vitamin A are essential nutrients that help maintain mucous membranes. See also Mucin Mucociliary clearance Mucocutaneous boundary Mucosal immune system Alkaline mucus Rete pegs References ^ Jump up to : `` Mucous membrane ''. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 1 August 2015. ^ Jump up to : Guyton, Arthur C. ; Hall, John E. ( 2005 ). Textbook of medical physiology ( 11th ed. ). Philadelphia : W.B. Saunders. ISBN 0 - 7216 - 0240 - 1. Jump up ^ Sompayrac, Lauren ( 2012 ). How the Immune System Works ( 4th ed. ). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. ISBN 9781118290446. Jump up ^ `` Chapter 25. Germ Layers and Their Derivatives - Review of Medical Embryology Book - LifeMap Discovery ''. discovery.lifemapsc.com. Retrieved 2017 - 02 - 18. Jump up ^ Squier, Christopher ; Brogden, Kim ( 2010 - 12 - 29 ). `` Chapter 7, Development and aging of the oral mucosa ''. Human Oral Mucosa : Development, Structure and Function. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9780470959732. Jump up ^ Schoenwolf, Gary C. ; Bleyl, Steven B. ; Brauer, Philip R. ; Francis - West, Philippa H. ( 2014 - 12 - 01 ). Larsen 's Human Embryology. Elsevier Health Sciences. p. 372. ISBN 9781455727919. Jump up ^ Fry, CH ; Vahabi, B ( October 2016 ). `` The Role of the Mucosa in Normal and Abnormal Bladder Function ''. Basic & clinical pharmacology & toxicology. 119 Suppl 3 : 57 -- 62. doi : 10.1111 / bcpt. 12626. PMID 27228303. Jump up ^ `` Vitamin A ''. MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. February 2, 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2017. Anatomy of the gastrointestinal tract, excluding the mouth Upper Pharynx Muscles Spaces peripharyngeal retropharyngeal parapharyngeal retrovisceral danger prevertebral Pterygomandibular raphe Pharyngeal raphe Buccopharyngeal fascia Pharyngobasilar fascia Piriform sinus Esophagus Sphincters upper lower glands Stomach Curvatures greater lesser Angular incisure Cardia Body Fundus Pylorus antrum canal sphincter Gastric mucosa Gastric folds Microanatomy Gastric pits Gastric glands Cardiac glands Fundic glands Pyloric glands Foveolar cell Parietal cell Gastric chief cell Enterochromaffin - like cell Lower Small intestine Microanatomy Intestinal villus Intestinal gland Enterocyte Enteroendocrine cell Goblet cell Paneth cell Duodenum Suspensory muscle Major duodenal papilla Minor duodenal papilla Duodenojejunal flexure Brunner 's glands Jejunum No substructures Ileum Ileocecal valve Peyer 's patches Microfold cell Large intestine Cecum Appendix Colon Ascending colon Hepatic flexure Transverse colon Splenic flexure Descending colon Sigmoid colon Continuous taenia coli haustra epiploic appendix Rectum Transverse folds Ampulla Anal canal Anus Anal columns Anal valves Anal sinuses Pectinate line Internal anal sphincter Intersphincteric groove External anal sphincter Wall Serosa / Adventitia Subserosa Muscular layer Submucosa Circular folds Mucosa Muscularis mucosa Anatomy of the urinary system Kidneys Layers Fascia Capsule Cortex column Medulla sinus pyramids medullary interstitium Lobe Cortical lobule Medullary ray Nephron Circulation Arteries Renal artery segmental interlobar arcuate interlobular afferent Veins Renal vein Peritubular capillaries Vasa recta arcuate interlobar efferent Nephron Renal corpuscle Glomerulus Bowman 's capsule Glomerular basement membrane Podocyte Filtration slits Mesangium Intraglomerular mesangial cell Renal tubule Proximal convoluted tubule Loop of Henle Descending Thin ascending Thick ascending Distal convoluted tubule Connecting tubule Collecting ducts Tubular fluid Renal papilla Minor calyx Major calyx Renal pelvis Juxtaglomerular apparatus Macula densa Juxtaglomerular cells Mesangium Extraglomerular mesangial cell Ureters Ureteropelvic junction Bladder Apex Uvula Neck Median umbilical ligament Muscular layer Trigone Detrusor Mucosa Submucosa Urethra Urethral sphincters External sphincter male female Internal sphincter Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mucous_membrane&oldid=811289256 '' Categories : Membrane biology Anatomy Hidden categories : Medicine infobox template using GraySubject or GrayPage Medicine infobox template using Dorlands parameter Talk Contents About Wikipedia Azərbaycanca Беларуская Беларуская ( тарашкевіца ) ‎ Български Bosanski Català Čeština Cymraeg Dansk Deutsch Eesti Ελληνικά Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français Gaeilge Galego 한국어 Հայերեն हिन्दी Hrvatski Ido Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Қазақша Latina Latviešu Lietuvių Magyar Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Polski Português Русский Scots Shqip Simple English Slovenčina Slovenščina کوردی Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska Tagalog தமிழ் ไทย Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 20 November 2017, at 18 : 11. 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Question: which layer of the alimentary canal produces mucous
Answer: mucous membrane