Uterus

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For the club in Tokyo, see Womb-Future Style.

Uterus

Female internal reproductive anatomy
Image:Illu female pelvis.jpg
1. Round ligament 2. Uterus 3. Uterine cavity 4. Intestinal surface of Uterus 5. Versical surface(toward bladder) 6. Fundus of uterus 7. Body of uterus 8. Palmate folds of cervical canal 9. Cervical canal 10. Posterior lip 11. Cervical os (external) 12. Isthmus of uterus 13. Supravaginal portion of cervix 14. Vaginal portion of cervix 15. Anterior lip 16. Cervix
Gray's	subject #268 1258
Artery	ovarian artery, uterine artery, helicine branches of uterine artery
Lymph	body and cervix to internal iliac lymph nodes, fundus to superficial inguinal lymph nodes
Precursor	Müllerian duct
MeSH	Uterus

The uterus or womb is the major female reproductive organ of most mammals, including humans. One end, the cervix, opens into the vagina; the other is connected on both sides to the fallopian tubes.

1 Forms in mammals
2 Anatomy
3 Development
4 Function
5 Pathology
6 Terminology
7 Additional images
8 References
9 See also
10 External links

[edit] Forms in mammals

In mammals, the four main forms in which it is found are:

bipartite, as in cows
bicornuate, as in pigs
simplex, as with the pear-shaped one found in humans and horses
duplex, found in rabbits

[edit] Anatomy

The uterus is located inside the pelvis immediately dorsal (and usually somewhat rostral) to the urinary bladder and ventral to the rectum. Outside of pregnancy, its size is several centimeters in diameter.

[edit] Regions

From outside to inside, the path to the uterus is as follows:

Vagina
Cervix uteri - "neck of uterus"
corpus uteri - "Body of uterus"
- Cavity of the body of the uterus
- Fundus (uterus)

[edit] Layers

The layers, from innermost to outermost, are as follows:

Layer	Description
endometrium	The lining of the uterine cavity is called the "endometrium". In most mammals, including humans, the endometrium builds a lining periodically which, if no pregnancy occurs, is shed or reabsorbed. Shedding of the endometrial lining in humans is responsible for menstrual bleeding (known colloquially as a woman's "period") throughout the fertile years of a female and for some time beyond. In other mammals there may be cycles set as widely apart as six months or as frequently as a few days.
myometrium	The uterus mostly consists of smooth muscle, known as "myometrium". The innermost layer of myometrium is known as the junctional zone, which becomes thickened in adenomyosis.
perimetrium	The loose surrounding tissue is called the "perimetrium".
peritoneum	The uterus is surrounded by "peritoneum".

[edit] Ligaments

It is held in place by the following ligaments:

Name	Number	Description
anterior	one	vesicouterine fold of peritoneum
posterior	one	rectovaginal fold of peritoneum
lateral or broad ligament of the uterus (mesometrium)	two	part of peritoneum that extends from the sides of the uterus
uterosacral ligaments	two	rectouterine folds
round ligament of uterus	two	from lateral angle of the uterus to labium majus
ovarian ligaments	two	connect uterus to ovaries

[edit] Position

Under normal circumstances the uterus is both "anteflexed" and "anteverted". The meaning of these terms are described below:

Distinction	More common	Less common
Position tipped	"anteverted": tipped forward	"retroverted": tipped backwards
Position of fundus	"anteflexed": the fundus is pointing forward relative to the cervix	"retroflexed": the fundus is pointing backwards

[edit] Development

The bilateral Müllerian ducts form during early fetal life. In males, MIF secreted from the testes leads to their regression. In females these ducts give rise to the Fallopian tubes and the uterus. In humans the lower segments of the two ducts fuse to form a single uterus, however, in cases of uterine malformations this development may be disturbed. The different uterine forms in various mammals are due to various degrees of fusion of the two Müllerian ducts.

[edit] Function

The main function of the uterus is to accept a fertilized ovum which becomes implanted into the endometrium, and derives nourishment from blood vessels which develop exclusively for this purpose. The fertilized ovum becomes an embryo, develops into a fetus and gestates until childbirth. Due to anatomical barriers such as the pelvis, the uterus is pushed partially into the abdomen due to its expansion during pregnancy. Even in pregnancy the mass of a human uterus amounts to only about a kilogram (2.2 pounds).

[edit] Pathology

Some pathological states include:

Prolapse of the uterus
Carcinoma of the cervix - malignant neoplasm
Carcinoma of the uterus - malignant neoplasm
Ectopic pregnancy
Fibroids - benign neoplasms
Adenomyosis - ectopic growth of endometrial tissue within the myometrium
Pyometra - infection of the uterus, most commonly seen in dogs
Uterine malformation
Retroverted uterus
Rokitansky syndrome
Myoma

[edit] Terminology

The term uterus is commonly used within the medical and related professions, whilst the term womb is in more common usage.

[edit] Additional images

Schematic frontal view of female anatomy	Uterus and uterine tubes.		Sectional plan of the gravid uterus in the third and fourth month.
Fetus in utero, between fifth and sixth months.	Vessels of the uterus and its appendages, rear view.	Uterus and right broad ligament, seen from behind.	Female pelvis and its contents, seen from above and in front.
Sagittal section of the lower part of a female trunk, right segment.	Posterior half of uterus and upper part of vagina.	The arteries of the internal organs of generation of the female, seen from behind.	Median sagittal section of female pelvis.