Lamina (anatomy)

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Lamina is a general anatomical term meaning "plate" or "layer." It is used in both gross anatomy and microscopic anatomy to describe structures.

Some examples include:

• The laminae of the thyroid cartilage: two leaflike plates of cartilage that make up the walls of the structure
• The vertebral laminae: plates of bone that form the posterior walls of each vertebra, enclosing the spinal cord
• The laminae of the thalamus: the layers of thalamus tissue
• The lamina propria: a connective tissue layer under the epithelium of an organ