The uterus (from Latin "uterus", plural uteri) or womb is the major reproductive organ in women.mammals. The lower end of the uterus, the cervix, opens into the vagina, while the other end, the fundus, is connected to the fallopian tubes. Babies grow and develop in the uterus during pregnancy. Other female mammals also have a uterus. Another name for uterus is "womb".
The uterus is located over the bladder, and in front of the large intestine. It is about 7.6 cm (3 in.) long, 4.5 cm broad (side to side) and 3.0 cm thick.[1] The uterus is held in position by ligaments. It is covered by a sheet-like fold of peritoneum, the broad ligament.[2]
The uterus has three layers:
- Endometrium
- The endometrium is the inner layer that is expelled during menstruation. During pregnancy, the uterine glands and blood vessels in the endometrium increase in size. The placenta grows out from the endometrium and supplies oxygen and nutrition to the baby.[3][4] Non-pathogenic microorganisms are present in the healthy uterus.[5][6][7][8]
- Myometrium
- The myometrium is the muscular layer of the uterus and is responsible for pushing out the baby during childbirth.
- Perimetrium
- The perimetrium is the layer of epithelium that covers the outside of the uterus.[9]
The uterus is held in place by the ligaments, pelvic diaphragm, perineal body and the urogenital diaphragm.[10]
It is held in place by several peritoneal ligaments. In some women the uterus is displaced and is not where it is usually found. ☃ ☃☃ In older women or in those who have had their uterus injured during childbirth, the uterus can come out of the vagina. This is uterine prolapse. If the uterus is out of its place, women can have pain during sexual intercourse, pelvic pain during menstruation, incontinence, infection, and difficulty becoming pregnant.[11][12] The uterus has a good nerve and blood supply.
A hysterectomy is the surgical that removes the uterus. Some medical conditions of the uterus are:
- Prolapse of the uterus
- Cancer
- Fibroids
- Infection
- Uterine malformations
- Scar tissue forming after childbirth or abortion
- endometrial tuberculosis
- Hematometra the accumulation of blood in the uterus
References
edit- ^ Manual of Obstetrics. (3rd ed.). Elsevier 2011. pp. 1–16. ISBN 9788131225561.
- ^ Gray's Anatomy for Students, 2nd edition
- ^ Blue Histology - Female Reproductive System. School of Anatomy and Human Biology — The University of Western Australia Accessed 20061228 20:35
- ^ "Chapter 81 Female Physiology Before Pregnancy and Female Hormones". Textbook of Medical Physiology (11th ed.). Elsevier Saunders. 2006. pp. 1018ff. ISBN 9780721602400.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|editors=ignored (|editor=suggested) (help) - ^ Franasiak, Jason M.; Scott, Richard T. (2015). "Reproductive tract microbiome in assisted reproductive technologies". Fertility and Sterility. 104 (6): 1364–1371. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2015.10.012. ISSN 0015-0282. PMID 26597628.
- ^ Verstraelen, Hans; Vilchez-Vargas, Ramiro; Desimpel, Fabian; Jauregui, Ruy; Vankeirsbilck, Nele; Weyers, Steven; Verhelst, Rita; De Sutter, Petra; Pieper, Dietmar H.; Van De Wiele, Tom (2016). "Characterisation of the human uterine microbiome in non-pregnant women through deep sequencing of the V1-2 region of the 16S rRNA gene". PeerJ. 4: e1602. doi:10.7717/peerj.1602. ISSN 2167-8359. PMC 4730988. PMID 26823997.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link) - ^ Mor, Gil; Kwon, Ja-Young (2015). "Trophoblast-microbiome interaction: a new paradigm on immune regulation". American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 213 (4): S131–S137. doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2015.06.039. ISSN 0002-9378. PMID 26428492.
- ^ Payne, Matthew S.; Bayatibojakhi, Sara (2014). "Exploring Preterm Birth as a Polymicrobial Disease: An Overview of the Uterine Microbiome". Frontiers in Immunology. 5: 595. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2014.00595. ISSN 1664-3224. PMC 4245917. PMID 25505898.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link) - ^ Ross, Michael H.; Pawlina, Wojciech. Histology, a text and atlas (Sixth ed.). p. 848.
- ^ The Pelvis University College Cork Archived from the original on 2008-02-27
- ^ http://www.womens-health.co.uk/retrover.asp
- ^ Tipped Uterus:Tilted Uterus AmericanPregnancy.org. Accessed 25 March 2011