Peritoneum in the context of Mesentery

The human female reproductive system is made up of the internal and external sex organs that function in the reproduction of new offspring. The reproductive system is immature at birth and develops at puberty to be able to release matured ova from the ovaries, facilitate their fertilization, and create a protective environment for the developing fetus during pregnancy. The female reproductive tract is made of several connected internal sex organs—the vagina, uterus, and fallopian tubes—and is prone to infections. The vagina allows for sexual intercourse and childbirth, and is connected to the uterus at the cervix. The uterus (or womb) accommodates the embryo by developing the uterine lining.

The uterus also produces secretions which help the transit of sperm to the fallopian tubes, where sperm fertilize the ova. During the menstrual cycle, the ovaries release an ovum, which transits through the fallopian tube into the uterus. If an egg cell meets with sperm on its way to the uterus, a single sperm cell can enter and merge with it, creating a zygote. If no fertilization occurs, menstruation is the process by which the uterine lining is shed as blood, mucus, and tissue.

The serous membrane (or serosa) is a smooth epithelial membrane of mesothelium lining the contents and inner walls of body cavities, which secrete serous fluid to allow lubricated sliding movements between opposing surfaces. The serous membrane that covers internal organs (viscera) is called visceral, while the one that covers the cavity wall is called parietal. For instance the parietal peritoneum is attached to the abdominal wall and the pelvic walls. The visceral peritoneum is wrapped around the visceral organs. For the heart, the layers of the serous membrane are called parietal and visceral pericardium. For the lungs they are called parietal and visceral pleura. The visceral serosa of the uterus is called the perimetrium. The potential space between two opposing serosal surfaces is mostly empty except for the small amount of serous fluid.

The Latin anatomical name is tunica serosa. Serous membranes line and enclose several body cavities, also known as serous cavities, where they secrete a lubricating fluid which reduces friction from movements. Serosa is entirely different from the adventitia, a connective tissue layer which binds together structures rather than reducing friction between them. The serous membrane covering the heart and lining the mediastinum is referred to as the pericardium, the serous membrane lining the thoracic cavity and surrounding the lungs is referred to as the pleura, and that lining the abdominopelvic cavity and the viscera is referred to as the peritoneum.

Stomach cancer, also known as gastric cancer, is a malignant tumor of the stomach. It is a cancer that develops in the lining of the stomach, caused by abnormal cell growth. Most cases of stomach cancers are gastric carcinomas, which can be divided into several subtypes, including gastric adenocarcinomas. Lymphomas and mesenchymal tumors may also develop in the stomach. Early symptoms may include heartburn, upper abdominal pain, nausea, and loss of appetite. Later signs and symptoms may include weight loss, yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes, vomiting, difficulty swallowing, and blood in the stool, among others. The cancer may spread from the stomach to other parts of the body, particularly the liver, lungs, bones, lining of the abdomen, and lymph nodes.

The bacterium Helicobacter pylori accounts for more than 60% of cases of stomach cancer. Certain strains of H. pylori have greater risks than others. Smoking, dietary factors such as pickled vegetables and obesity are other risk factors. About 10% of cases run in families, and between 1% and 3% of cases are due to genetic syndromes inherited such as hereditary diffuse gastric cancer. Most of the time, stomach cancer develops in stages over the years. Diagnosis is usually by biopsy done during endoscopy. This is followed by medical imaging to determine if the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Japan and South Korea, two countries that have high rates of the disease, screen for stomach cancer.

The cecum (UK: caecum, pronounced /ˈsiːkəm/; plural ceca or UK: caeca, pronounced /ˈsiːkə/) is a pouch within the peritoneum that is considered to be the beginning of the large intestine. It is typically located on the right side of the body (the same side of the body as the appendix, to which it is joined). The term stems from the Latin caecus, meaning "blind".

It receives chyme from the ileum, and connects to the ascending colon of the large intestine. It is separated from the ileum by the ileocecal valve (ICV), also called Bauhin's valve. It is also separated from the colon by the cecocolic junction. While the cecum is usually intraperitoneal, the ascending colon is retroperitoneal.

Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is the development of a bacterial infection in the peritoneum, despite the absence of an obvious source for the infection. It is specifically an infection of the ascitic fluid – an increased volume of peritoneal fluid. Ascites is most commonly a complication of cirrhosis of the liver. It can also occur in patients with nephrotic syndrome. SBP has a high mortality rate.

The diagnosis of SBP requires paracentesis, a sampling of the peritoneal fluid taken from the peritoneal cavity. If the fluid contains large numbers of white blood cells known as neutrophils (>250 cells/μL), infection is confirmed and antibiotics will be given, without waiting for culture results. In addition to antibiotics, infusions of albumin are usually administered.

In human anatomy, the mesentery is an organ that attaches the intestines to the posterior abdominal wall, consisting of a double fold of the peritoneum. It helps (among other functions) in storing fat and allowing blood vessels, lymphatics, and nerves to supply the intestines.

The mesocolon (the part of the mesentery that attaches the colon to the abdominal wall) was formerly thought to be a fragmented structure, with all named parts—the ascending, transverse, descending, and sigmoid mesocolons, the mesoappendix, and the mesorectum—separately terminating their insertion into the posterior abdominal wall. However, in 2012, new microscopic and electron microscopic examinations showed the mesocolon to be a single structure derived from the duodenojejunal flexure and extending to the distal mesorectal layer. Thus the mesentery is an internal organ.

The mammalian kidneys are a pair of excretory organs of the urinary system of mammals, being functioning kidneys in postnatal-to-adult individuals (i. e. metanephric kidneys). The kidneys in mammals are usually bean-shaped or externally lobulated. They are located behind the peritoneum (retroperitoneally) on the back (dorsal) wall of the body. The typical mammalian kidney consists of a renal capsule, a peripheral cortex, an internal medulla, one or more renal calyces, and a renal pelvis. Although the calyces or renal pelvis may be absent in some species. The medulla is made up of one or more renal pyramids, forming papillae with their innermost parts. Generally, urine produced by the cortex and medulla drains from the papillae into the calyces, and then into the renal pelvis, from which urine exits the kidney through the ureter. Nitrogen-containing waste products are excreted by the kidneys in mammals mainly in the form of urea.

The structure of the kidney differs between species. The kidneys can be unilobar (a single lobe represented by a single renal pyramid) or multilobar, unipapillary (a single or a common papilla), with several papillae or multipapillary, may be smooth-surfaced or lobulated. The multilobar kidneys can also be reniculate, which are found mainly in marine mammals. The unipapillary kidney with a single renal pyramid is the simplest type of kidney in mammals, from which the more structurally complex kidneys are believed to have evolved. Differences in kidney structure are the result of adaptations during evolution to variations in body mass and habitats (in particular, aridity) between species.

The retroperitoneal space (retroperitoneum) is the anatomical space (sometimes a potential space) behind (retro) the peritoneum. It has no specific delineating anatomical structures. Organs are retroperitoneal if they have peritoneum on their anterior side only. Structures that are not suspended by mesentery in the abdominal cavity and that lie between the parietal peritoneum and abdominal wall are classified as retroperitoneal.

This is different from organs that are not retroperitoneal, which have peritoneum on their posterior side and are suspended by mesentery in the abdominal cavity.