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The mucous membrane investing the anterior surface of the eyeball and the posterior surface of the lids. SYN: tunica c. [TA]. [L. fem. of conjunctivus, from conjungo, pp. -junctus, to bind together]
- bulbar c. [TA] the part of the c. covering the anterior surface of the sclera and the surface epithelium of the cornea. SYN: tunica c. bulbi [TA], conjunctival layer of bulb.
- palpebral c. [TA] the part of the c. lining the posterior surface of the eyelids and continuous with the bulbar c. at the conjunctival fornices. SYN: tunica c. palpebrarum [TA], conjunctival layer of eyelids.
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con·junc·ti·va .kän-.jəŋ(k)-'tī-və, kən- n, pl -vas or -vae -(.)vē the mucous membrane that lines the inner surface of the eyelids and is continued over the forepart of the eyeball
con·junc·ti·val -vəl adj
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n.
the delicate mucous membrane that covers the front of the eye and lines the inside of the eyelids. The conjunctiva lining the eyelids contains many blood vessels but that over the eyeball contains few and is transparent.
• conjunctival adj.
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con·junc·ti·va (kən-junkґtĭ-və) pl. conjuncґtivae [L.] the delicate membrane that lines the eyelids and covers the exposed surface of the sclera, divided into the palpebral c. and the bulbar or ocular c. In official terminology, called tunica conjunctiva [TA]. conjunctival adj
Divisions of the conjunctiva in a sagittal section.
Medical dictionary. 2011.