Where is peritoneum

Some organs protrude into the abdominal cavity, but are not encased in visceral peritoneum. The kidneys lay in this type of position and are said to in a retroperitoneal location. The term mesentery tends to be used as a generic term describing peritoneal extensions not only from the intestine as - entery implies , but from all abdominal and pelvic organs. To be more precise, and less offensive to language purists, sections of peritoneum that suspend specific organs are individually named; for example, mesogastrium for the stomach, mesojejunum for the jejunum and mesometrium for the uterus.

An important feature of mesentery is that it serves as a conduit for blood vessels, nerves and lymphatic vessels going to and from the organ in question. Skip to main content. Digestive System. Search for:. The Peritoneum. The Peritoneum The peritoneum, the serous membrane that forms the lining of the abdominal cavity, covers most of the intra-abdominal organs. Learning Objectives Differentiate among the digestive organs and their location relative to the peritoneum. Key Takeaways Key Points The peritoneum supports the abdominal organs and serves as a conduit for their blood and lymph vessels and nerves.

There are two layers of the peritoneum: the outer layer, called the parietal peritoneum, is attached to the abdominal wall; the inner layer, the visceral peritoneum, is wrapped around the internal organs that are located inside the intraperitoneal cavity. The mesentery is the double layer of visceral peritoneum. The potential space between these two layers, the peritoneal cavity, is filled with a small amount of slippery serous fluid that allows the two layers to slide freely over each other.

The structures in the abdomen are classified as intraperitoneal, retroperitoneal, or infraperitoneal, depending on whether they are covered with visceral peritoneum and are attached by mesenteries. There are two main regions of the peritoneum connected by the epiploic foramen: the greater sac or general cavity of the abdomen, and the lesser sac or omental bursa.

Intraperitoneal organs and retroperitoneal organs weave in and out of these membranes, and serve varying functions. Retroperitoneal structures tend to be more static than intraperitoneal ones. Key Terms greater omentum : A large fold of visceral peritoneum that hangs down from the stomach.

Examples In one form of dialysis, called peritoneal dialysis, a glucose solution is sent through a tube into the peritoneal cavity. Licenses and Attributions. Disorders of the peritoneum are not common. They include Peritonitis - an inflammation of the peritoneum Cancer Complications from peritoneal dialysis Your doctor may use imaging tests or lab tests to analyze the peritoneal fluid to diagnose the problem.

Start Here. Diagnosis and Tests. Related Issues. Clinical Trials. Article: Establishment and histopathological study of patient-derived xenograft models and primary cell