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Gastro Enterology => Stomach => Abdomen
Abdomen
Abdomen, in anatomy, the cavity of the body between the chest and the pelvis in humans and all other vertebrates. The abdominal cavity contains major organs of the digestive, urinary, and reproductive systems.
Unlike the skulland the chest cavity, bones do not surround the abdomen. This allows the abdominal cavity to vary in size and shape. Three layers of muscles in front and on the sides of the abdomen, together with the spine and back muscles, form abdominal walls that support the internal organs.
Major organs of the abdomen include the stomach, liver, small intestine and large intestine, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen, kidneys, adrenal glands, and bladder. In a female, the abdomen holds the uterus and ovaries. In a male, it holds the prostate gland. A two-layered membrane, the peritoneum, surrounds the abdominal organs. The peritoneum produces serous fluid, a clear, watery substance that lubricates the outer membrane to prevent friction as it moves against the abdominal walls.
The major artery in the abdomen is the aorta, which carries blood from the heart. The inferior vena cava is the major abdominal vein returning blood to the heart.
Abdominal pain is a key symptom of both minor ailments and serious diseases. Indigestion is the most common cause of abdominal pain in both adults and children. Additional common causes include inflammation of the lining of the stomach and intestinal tract, constipation, and menstrual cramps.
Serious causes of abdominal pain include appendicitis; gallbladder or kidney stones; ulcers of the stomach and small intestine; diverticulitis (inflammation of pouchlike tissue in the large intestine); hepatitis; inflammation of a kidney, a fallopian tube, the bladder, or the pancreas; an ectopic (tubal) pregnancy; an ovarian cyst; an aortic aneurysm (abnormal widening of the aorta caused by weakness in the vessel wall); and cancer. With these conditions, pain often comes in waves, accompanied by vomiting, sweating, and tenderness of the abdomen when touched.
The term abdomen also refers to the posterior section of insects and other arthropods.
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