Round ligament of uterus in the context of "Female reproductive system (human)"

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 uterine horns (cornua of uterus) are the points in the upper uterus where the fallopian tubes or oviducts exit to meet the ovaries. They are one of the points of attachment for the round ligament of uterus (the other being the mons pubis). They also provide attachment to the ovarian ligament, which is located below the fallopian tube at the back, while the round ligament of uterus is located below the tube at the front.

The uterine horns are far more prominent in other animals (such as cows and cats) than they are in humans. In the cat, implantation of the embryo occurs in one of the two uterine horns, not the body of the uterus itself.

The ilioinguinal nerve is a branch of the first lumbar nerve (L1). It separates from the first lumbar nerve along with the larger iliohypogastric nerve. It emerges from the lateral border of the psoas major just inferior to the iliohypogastric, and passes obliquely across the quadratus lumborum and iliacus. The ilioinguinal nerve then perforates the transversus abdominis near the anterior part of the iliac crest, and communicates with the iliohypogastric nerve between the transversus and the internal oblique muscle.

It then pierces the internal oblique muscle, distributing filaments to it, and then accompanies the spermatic cord (in males) or the round ligament of uterus (in females) through the superficial inguinal ring. Its fibres are then distributed to the skin of the upper and medial part of the thigh, and to the following locations in the male and female: