mucous membrane vs mucosa

mucous membrane and mucosa both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
mucous membrane	Yes	No	No	No
mucosa	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, mucous membrane and mucosa are synonyms defined as:

mucous membrane and mucosa: mucus-secreting membrane lining all body cavities or passages that communicate with the exterior

mucous membrane (noun)	mucosa (noun)
mucus-secreting membrane lining all body cavities or passages that communicate with the exterior	mucus-secreting membrane lining all body cavities or passages that communicate with the exterior