Diaphragm may refer to:

Anatomy

Thoracic diaphragm The thoracic diaphragm, or simply the diaphragm ( grc, διάφραγμα, diáphragma, partition), is a sheet of internal skeletal muscle in humans and other mammals that extends across the bottom of the thoracic cavity. The diaphragm is the ...

, a thin sheet of muscle between the thorax and the abdomen * Pelvic diaphragm or

pelvic floor The pelvic floor or pelvic diaphragm is composed of muscle fibers of the levator ani, the coccygeus muscle, and associated connective tissue which span the area underneath the pelvis. The pelvic diaphragm is a muscular partition formed by the l ...

, a pelvic structure *

Urogenital diaphragm Older texts have asserted the existence of a urogenital diaphragm, also called the triangular ligament, which was described as a layer of the pelvis that separates the deep perineal sac from the upper pelvis, lying between the inferior fascia o ...

or triangular ligament, a pelvic structure

Other

Diaphragm (optics) In optics, a diaphragm is a thin opaque structure with an opening (aperture) at its center. The role of the diaphragm is to ''stop'' the passage of light, except for the light passing through the ''aperture''. Thus it is also called a stop (an a ...

, a stop in the light path of a lens, having an aperture that regulates the amount of light that passes *

Diaphragm (acoustics) In the field of acoustics, a diaphragm is a transducer intended to inter-convert mechanical vibrations to sounds, or vice versa. It is commonly constructed of a thin membrane or sheet of various materials, suspended at its edges. The varying ai ...

, a thin, semi-rigid membrane that vibrates to produce or transmit sound waves * Diaphragm (birth control), a small rubber dome placed in the vagina to wall off the cervix, thus preventing sperm from entering *

Diaphragm (mechanical device) In mechanics, a diaphragm is a sheet of a semi-flexible material anchored at its periphery and most often round in shape. It serves either as a barrier between two chambers, moving slightly up into one chamber or down into the other depending on ...

, a sheet of a semi-flexible material anchored at its periphery *

Diaphragm (structural system) In structural engineering, a diaphragm is a structural element that transmits lateral loads to the vertical resisting elements of a structure (such as shear walls or frames). Diaphragms are typically horizontal, but can be sloped such as in a ga ...

, a structural engineering system used to resist lateral loads

Anatomy

Other

See also