Uterus
Organ that houses and nourishes the developing embryo and fetus.
Last updated
The uterus is a hormone-responsive sex organ that accommodates embryonic and fetal development in most female mammals.[1] In humans, it is a pear-shaped organ about 7.6 cm long, located in the pelvic region behind the bladder.[2]
Key facts and history
The human uterus can be divided into the fundus, body, cervix, and cervical canal.[3] During pregnancy, the endometrium forms the decidua, and vascular spaces fuse to form the placenta.[4] The vaginal canal receives the protruding cervix.[5] Smooth muscle constitutes the majority of the myometrium.[6]
In the majority of women, the uterus is positioned in anteversion and anteflexion, meaning it is tilted forward against the urinary bladder.[7]
What the research sources say
The OpenStax anatomy resource states that the uterus is the muscular organ that nourishes and supports the growing embryo.[8] According to the same source, the cervix serves as the exit from the uterus during menses and childbirth.[8] The OpenStax resource notes that the ovary is attached to the uterus via the ovarian ligament.[8] The GLOWM surgical review explains that agenesis of the uterus and vagina, known as Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome, represents a dysplasia of the müllerian ducts.[9]
The GLOWM source adds that a defect in mesoderm organization can cause abnormalities in the kidney, uterus, and vagina.[9] The BBC News report describes a 36-year-old mother born without a uterus who received a donated womb from a friend in her 60s.[10]
References
- Wikipedia, "Uterus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Linzey, "Vertebrate Biology: Systematics, Taxonomy, Natural History, and Conservation", JHU Press, 2020-08-04 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Uterus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Manual of Obstetrics. (3rd ed.). Elsevier 2011. pp. 1–16. .; Donita, "Health & physical assessment in nursing", Pearson, 2015, p. 645 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Uterus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "27.2 Anatomy and Physiology of the Female Reproductive System - Anatomy and Physiology OpenStax", openstax.org, 25 April 2013 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Uterus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Blue Histology - Female Reproductive System . School of Anatomy and Human Biology — The University of Western Australia Accessed 20061228 20:35; "Textbook of Medical Physiology", Elsevier Saunders, 2006, p. 1018ff (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Uterus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Gray's Anatomy for Students, 2nd edition (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Uterus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms", National Cancer Institute (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Uterus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Snell, Clinical Anatomy by regions, 8th edition; Manual of Obstetrics. (3rd ed.). Elsevier 2011. pp. 1–16. . (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "27.2 Anatomy and Physiology of the Female Reproductive System - Anatomy and Physiology OpenStax", openstax.org, 25 April 2013. facts only, no text reused. openstax.org
- "Surgical Correction of Uterovaginal Anomalies GLOWM", www.glowm.com. facts only, no text reused. glowm.com
- "BBC News", 4 October 2014. facts only, no text reused. bbc.co.uk
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Uterus (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
Also in the Codexery
More in Physiology & Anatomy
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Uterus (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Word definitions: the , each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced