結膜

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 結膜(けつまく) is the membrane covering the inside of the eyelids and the white of the eye.
• Basic usage: It describes a doctor diagnosing inflammation of the conjunctiva after someone's eye became red.
  • 目が赤くなり、医師に結膜の炎症だと診断された。

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Tissue and the name of inflammation
  • 結膜 names the tissue itself, while 結膜炎(けつまくえん) names inflammation of that tissue. The final 炎 turns the expression into the name of an inflammatory condition.