Definition

The area in the chest between the lungs that holds the heart and other important organs, except for the lungs themselves.

Example

The doctor explained that the mediastinum is crucial for housing vital organs in the chest.

Conversation

Hey, do you remember our biology class when we learned about the mediastinum?

Yeah, I found it really interesting how it contains the heart and other vital organs.

Exactly! I didn't realize it was such an important space in the chest.

Right? It's amazing how much is packed in there besides just the lungs.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Mediastinum → It is formed from "medius" (meaning middle) and "stinum" (from the Latin "stina", meaning partition or space). The word refers to the middle space in the thoracic cavity that separates the lungs.

Memory Tip

Think of the word 'middle' ('medius') to remember that 'mediastinum' refers to the space in the chest that is in between the lungs.

Visually Confused Words