General Anatomy · Cardiovascular System · Medium

Endothelium

Meaning: The single layer of flat cells lining the inside of blood vessels, lymph vessels and the heart.

In practice: Damaged endothelium in arteries is an early step in the development of atherosclerosis.

Word parts

Many medical words are built from Greek and Latin parts like these, so learning a few helps you work out new terms.

Two questions on related general anatomy words.

Which word means: The cheekbone, forming the prominence of the cheek and part of the eye socket.

Which word means: A small, leaky, widened capillary found in organs such as the liver, spleen and bone marrow.

One medical word a day, then a quick three-question quiz. Free on iPhone, or play in your browser on Android and computer.