lamina

A thin plate, sheet, or layer.

The expanded area of a leaf or petal; a blade.

The bladelike part of a kelp.

A thin layer of bone, membrane, or other tissue.

A thin scalelike or platelike structure, as one of the thin layers of sensitive vascular tissue in the hoof of a horse.

A narrow bed of rock.

A thin plate or scale.

The inner table of the skull.

Synonyms Lamina, lamella. In zoölogy and anatomy these words are usually absolutely synonymous, used interchangeably and without distinction. If there be a possible distinction, it is that lamella may oftener apply to something smaller or thinner than a lamina: for instance, the cover of a book is a lamina, containing leaves or lamellæ. Haeckel draws and maintains this distinction in embryology.