peritoneum Flashcards
What is the peritoneum?
A continuous, slippery serous membrane consisting of the parietal and visceral layers.
What are the two layers of the peritoneum?
Parietal peritoneum: Lines the internal surface of the abdominopelvic cavity.
Visceral peritoneum: Covers the internal organs like the stomach and intestines.
What type of cells make up the peritoneum?
Simple squamous epithelial cells (mesothelium).
What is the peritoneal cavity?
A potential space between the parietal and visceral peritoneum containing peritoneal fluid.
What is the function of peritoneal fluid?
Lubricates peritoneal surfaces, allowing frictionless movement of viscera (important for digestion).
How does the peritoneal cavity differ between males and females?
Males: Completely closed.
Females: Open to the external environment via the uterine tubes, uterine cavity, and vagina.
Why is the peritoneal cavity’s openness in females clinically significant?
It provides a potential infection pathway from the external environment.
How is the embryonic gut tube connected to the body wall?
By the ventral and dorsal mesenteries.
What happens to the ventral and dorsal mesenteries during development?
Ventral mesentery mostly disappears, except for the falciform ligament (connecting to the liver).
Dorsal mesentery remains and suspends the gut tube from the posterior abdominal wall.
What important structures pass through the dorsal mesentery?
The arteries that supply the gut tube.
What are the three main arteries supplying the gut tube?
Coeliac trunk → Foregut
Superior mesenteric artery → Midgut
Inferior mesenteric artery → Hindgut
What are the two mesoderm layers related to the gut tube?
Somatic mesoderm (body wall)
Splanchnic mesoderm (gut tube)
What is a mesentery?
A double layer of peritoneum formed by the invagination of an organ, where the visceral peritoneum becomes continuous with the parietal peritoneum.
What is the mesentery commonly referred to?
“The mesentery,” specifically referring to the small intestine mesentery.
What are examples of mesenteries in the body?
Transverse mesocolon (attaching the transverse colon)
Sigmoid mesocolon (attaching the sigmoid colon)
Mesoappendix (supporting the appendix)
Mesogastrium (supporting the stomach)
What is an omentum?
A double-layered peritoneal fold that extends from the stomach and proximal duodenum to adjacent abdominal organs.
What is the greater omentum and where does it attach?
A four-layered peritoneal fold derived from the dorsal mesogastrium.
Hangs like an apron from the greater curvature of the stomach and proximal duodenum.
Descends and folds back to attach to the anterior surface of the transverse colon.
What is the lesser omentum and where does it attach?
A double-layered peritoneal fold derived from the ventral mesogastrium.
Connects the lesser curvature of the stomach and proximal duodenum to the liver.
What is a peritoneal ligament?
A double-layered peritoneum that connects an organ to another organ or to the abdominal wall.
What 3 ligaments connect the liver, and to what structures?
Falciform ligament → Anterior abdominal wall
Hepatogastric ligament → Stomach (part of the lesser omentum)
Hepatoduodenal ligament → Duodenum (part of the lesser omentum)
Which ligament connects the stomach to the spleen?
Gastrosplenic ligament
What are bare areas in intraperitoneal organs?
Regions not covered by visceral peritoneum, allowing neurovascular structures to enter or exit the organ.
Why do bare areas exist?
To permit vascular and nerve connections without being enclosed by peritoneum.
Where is a well-known bare area found?
On the posterior surface of the liver.
