The outermost layer of connective tissue that surrounds and protects a bundle of nerve fibers (a nerve).
From epi- (Greek 'upon') + neurium (Latin noun form of Greek neuron 'nerve'). Coined in the 19th century as anatomists developed a vocabulary for the microscopic structures of nerves.
Every nerve in your body has three protective layers like a cable with insulation, and the epineurium is the tough outer shell! Scientists had to invent this word because they needed to distinguish between three completely different layers.
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