tunica

IPA/ˈtʃuːn.ɪ.kə/
KK[tˈunɪkə]IPA/ˈtuː.nɪ.kə/

tunica — noun

  • tunicasingular
  • tunicasplural

1. a thin sheet of biological material that wraps around or lines an organ, a blood

1.名詞C2
釋義

a thin sheet of biological material that wraps around or lines an organ, a blood vessel, or another structure inside the body, often acting as a protective or supportive layer.

例句

The surgeon carefully cut through the tunica to reach the blocked artery.

active voice: cut through the tunica

In anatomy class, Walid examined the tunica of a sheep's heart under a microscope.

collocation: tunica of [organ]

同義詞
  • membrane

    a broader, more common term for any thin sheet of tissue; all tunicae are membranes, but not all membranes are tunicae

  • sheath

    suggests a tubular covering structure; used informally for some tunica layers but less precise in anatomy

  • layer

    a general word for a single thickness of material; tunica is a specific type of anatomical layer

文法句型

the tunica + of + body part/organ

tunica + Latin modifier (e.g. tunica intima, tunica media)

用法筆記

The term is most often encountered in compound Latin anatomical names for specific layers: tunica intima (innermost), tunica media (middle), and tunica adventitia (outermost) of blood vessels; tunica albuginea of the ovary or testis; and tunica mucosa or tunica serosa of the digestive tract. These compound forms are usually not italicised in modern medical writing.

常見錯誤

❌The tunica protects the body from germs.
✅The skin protects the body from germs; tunica refers to specific inner layers such as those of blood vessels or organs.
💡tunica is a specialised anatomical term and is not a synonym for skin or outer covering.
❌The doctor checked my tunica during the check-up.
✅The doctor examined the tunica of the patient's aorta during the ultrasound.
💡tunica is not a body part you check in a routine exam; it is used when discussing specific layers of organs or vessels.