TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - Peritoneal Cavity A1 - Seshadri, Anupamaa A1 - Rangel, Erika A2 - Doherty, Gerard M. PY - 2020 T2 - Current Diagnosis & Treatment: Surgery, 15e AB - The peritoneum is a thin serous membrane that lines the peritoneal cavity. It is the largest serous surface layer in the human body, and its surface area is comparable to the skin. The structure is made up of a single flat layer of mesothelial cells, rich in microvilli. Beneath the mesothelium are a basement membrane and a loose collagen network containing vascularized connective tissue with scattered fibroblasts and macrophages. Normally there is between 5 and 20 mL of free peritoneal fluid. This can vary in women, peaking after ovulation. Normal peritoneal fluid has a specific gravity of less than 1.016, protein concentration of less than 3 g/dL, pH between 7.5 and 8, and white blood cell count (WBC) of less than 3000/µL. SN - PB - McGraw Hill LLC CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2024/10/12 UR - accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1171278152 ER -