"Womb" redirects here. For other uses, see Womb (disambiguation)."In utero" redirects here. For the album by Nirvana, see In Utero."Uterine" redirects here. For maternal half-siblings, see Uterine siblings."Intrauterine" redirects here. For the contraceptive devices, see Intrauterine device."Hystera" redirects here. Not to be confused with Hysteria.
Uterus
Diagram of human uterus and surrounding structures
Details
Precursor
Paramesonephric ducts
System
Reproductive system
Artery
Ovarian artery and uterine artery
Vein
Uterine veins
Lymph
Body and cervix to internal iliac lymph nodes, fundus to para-aortic lymph nodes, lumbar and superficial inguinal lymph nodes.
Identifiers
Latin
uterus
Greek
ὑστέρα (hystéra)
MeSH
D014599
TA98
A09.1.03.001
TA2
3500
FMA
17558
Anatomical terminology
[edit on Wikidata]
The uterus (from Latin uterus, pl.: uteri) or womb (/wuːm/) is the organ in the reproductive system of most female mammals, including humans, that accommodates the embryonic and fetal development of one or more embryos until birth. The uterus is a hormone-responsive sex organ that contains glands in its lining that secrete uterine milk for embryonic nourishment.
The term uterus is also applied to analogous structures in some non-mammalian animals.
In the human, the lower end of the uterus is a narrow part known as the isthmus that connects to the cervix, leading to the vagina. The upper end, the body of the uterus, is connected to the fallopian tubes, at the uterine horns, and the rounded part above the openings to the fallopian tubes is the fundus. The connection of the uterine cavity with a fallopian tube is called the uterotubal junction. The fertilized egg is carried to the uterus along the fallopian tube. It will have divided on its journey to form a blastocyst that will implant itself into the lining of the uterus – the endometrium, where it will receive nutrients and develop into the embryo proper and later fetus for the duration of the pregnancy.
In the human embryo, the uterus develops from the paramesonephric ducts, which fuse into the single organ known as a simplex uterus. The uterus has different forms in many other animals and in some it exists as two separate uteri known as a duplex uterus.
In medicine and related professions, the term uterus is consistently used, while the Germanic-derived term womb is commonly used in everyday contexts. Events occurring within the uterus are described with the term in utero.
The uterus (from Latin uterus, pl.: uteri) or womb (/wuːm/) is the organ in the reproductive system of most female mammals, including humans, that accommodates...
relation to the vagina, the positioning of the cervix that opens into the uterus is called the internal os; and, the opening of the cervix in the vagina...
is connected to the uterus at the cervix. The uterus or womb accommodates the embryo, which develops into the fetus. The uterus also produces secretions...
Uterus didelphys (sometimes also uterus didelphis) represents a uterine malformation where the uterus is present as a paired organ when the embryogenetic...
Couvelaire uterus (also known as uteroplacental apoplexy) is a rare but not a life-threatening condition in which loosening of the placenta (abruptio placentae)...
inner epithelial layer, along with its mucous membrane, of the mammalian uterus. It has a basal layer and a functional layer: the basal layer contains stem...
A retroverted uterus (tilted uterus, tipped uterus) is a uterus that is oriented posteriorly, towards the rectum in the back of the body. This is in contrast...
A bicornuate uterus or bicornate uterus (from the Latin cornū, meaning "horn"), is a type of müllerian anomaly in the human uterus, where there is a deep...
transplant is a surgical procedure whereby a healthy uterus is transplanted into an organism of which the uterus is absent or diseased. As part of normal mammalian...
round ligament of the uterus is a ligament that connects the uterus to the labia majora. It originates at the junction of the uterus and uterine tube. It...
The arcuate uterus is a form of a uterine anomaly or variation where the uterine cavity displays a concave contour towards the fundus. Normally the uterine...
inside of the uterus (endometrium) atypically located among the cells of the uterine wall (myometrium), as a result, thickening of the uterus occurs. As...
A boggy uterus is a finding upon physical examination where the uterus is more flaccid than would be expected. It can be associated with uterine atony...
Hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus and cervix. Supracervical hysterectomy refers to removal of the uterus while the cervix is spared. These procedures...
An artificial womb or artificial uterus is a device that would allow for extracorporeal pregnancy, by growing a fetus outside the body of an organism that...
The broad ligament of the uterus is the wide fold of peritoneum that connects the sides of the uterus to the walls and floor of the pelvis. The contents...
II—Unicornuate uterus (a one-sided uterus). Rare condition in which a partial or complete lack of one Müllerian duct is present. The uterus has a typical...
paired tubes in the human female body that stretch from the ovaries to the uterus. The fallopian tubes are part of the female reproductive system. In other...
An engineered uterus is an organ cultured or tissue engineered uterus in vitro. Organ culture is the cultivation of either whole organs or parts of organs...
Social uterus is a developmental concept in family therapy for psychosomatic disorders. Social uterus as an integrative model of family development was...
main cavity of the uterus in most mammals. The cervical canal communicates with the uterine cavity via the internal orifice of the uterus (or internal os)...
The perimetrium (or serous coat of uterus) is the outer serosal layer of the uterus, derived from the peritoneum overlying the uterine fundus, and can...
extension of the peritoneum into the space between the posterior wall of the uterus and the rectum in the human female. In women, the rectouterine pouch is...
Bovine uterine prolapse occurs when the bovine uterus protrudes after calving. It is most common in dairy cattle and can occur in beef cows occasionally...
Uterine prolapse is a form of pelvic organ prolapse in which the uterus and a portion of the upper vagina protrude into the vaginal canal and, in severe...
of the uterus. Endometrial cancer forms from the lining of the uterus, and uterine sarcoma forms from the muscles or support tissue of the uterus. Endometrial...
Organ perforation is a complete penetration of the wall of a hollow organ in the body, such as the gastrointestinal tract in the case of gastrointestinal...
A unicornuate uterus represents a uterine malformation where the uterus is formed from one only of the paired Müllerian ducts while the other Müllerian...
series of natural changes in hormone production and the structures of the uterus and ovaries of the female reproductive system that makes pregnancy possible...
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