What is the diaphragm (in breathing)?
The the diaphragm is called the diaphragm. Gray's Anatomy (1918) describes it as a dome-shaped sheet of muscle and tendon.
What it is
- A dome-shaped sheet of muscle and tendon.
- The principal muscle of breathing.
- When it contracts and flattens, air is drawn into the lungs.
Where it is
- Between the chest cavity and the abdominal cavity.
- Attached to the lower ribs, sternum, and lumbar vertebrae.
- Pierced by the esophagus, aorta, and inferior vena cava.
Source:
Last verified: 2026-07-18
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