Ligament: Broad ligament of the uterus
Uterus and right broad ligament, seen from behind. (Broad ligament visible at center.)
Latin	l. latum uteri
Gray's	subject #268 1259
Dorlands/Elsevier	l_09/12492509

The broad ligament of the uterus refers to the wide fold of peritoneum that connects the sides of the uterus to the walls and floor of the pelvis. Image File history File links Gray1161. ... The uterus or womb is the major female reproductive organ of most mammals, including humans. ... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome. ... Elseviers logo Elsevier, the worlds largest publisher of medical and scientific literature, forms part of the Reed Elsevier group. ... In higher vertebrates, the peritoneum is the serous membrane that forms the lining of the abdominal cavity - it covers most of the intra-abdominal organs. ... The uterus or womb is the major female reproductive organ of most mammals, including humans. ... The pelvis (pl. ...

Structure

The peritoneum surrounds the uterus is like a flat sheet that is folded over the uterus; on the sides of the uterus, this sheet of peritoneum comes in direct contact with itself, forming the double layer of peritoneum known as the broad ligament of the uterus. The part where this peritoneal sheet is folded (i.e. the free edge) has the uterine tubes running between the two layers; this part is known as the mesosalpinx. In higher vertebrates, the peritoneum is the serous membrane that forms the lining of the abdominal cavity - it covers most of the intra-abdominal organs. ... The uterus or womb is the major female reproductive organ of most mammals, including humans. ... Female internal reproductive anatomy The Fallopian tubes or oviducts are two very fine tubes leading from the ovaries of female mammals into the uterus. ...

Subdivisions

The broad ligament may be divided into three subcomponents:

• Mesometrium - the mesentery of the uterus; the largest portion of the broad ligament
• Mesosalpinx - the part that surrounds the uterine tube
• Mesovarium - the part that surrounds the ovary

Female internal reproductive anatomy The Fallopian tubes or oviducts are two very fine tubes leading from the ovaries of female mammals into the uterus. ... Human female internal reproductive anatomy Ovaries are egg-producing reproductive organs found in female organisms. ...

Function

The broad ligament serves as a mesentery for the uterus, ovaries, and the uterine tubes. It helps in maintaining the uterus in its position.

See also

• Suspensory ligament of ovary
• Pelvic diaphragm

The Levator ani and the Coccygeus together form the pelvic diaphragm and are associated with the pelvic viscera. ...

External links

• SUNY Labs 43:03-0300
• Photo
• Diagram

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant. The State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn, better known as SUNY Downstate Medical Center, is an academic medical center and is the only one of its kind in the Borough of Brooklyn in New York City. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ... An illustration from the 1918 edition Henry Grays Anatomy of the Human Body, commonly known as Grays Anatomy, is an anatomy textbook widely regarded as a classic work on human anatomy. ...