Tapes damaged membranes (5)
I believe the answer is:
septa
'membranes' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both body parts as well as being plural nouns.
Perhaps there's an association between them I don't understand?
'tapes damaged' is the wordplay.
'damaged' indicates an anagram.
'tapes' anagrammed gives 'SEPTA'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for septa that I've seen before include "partitions" , "divisions of the airways" , "Chambers will show such divisions" .)