|
Uterus - Dictionary Definition and Overview |
|
Uterus : (noun)
1: a hollow muscular organ in the pelvic cavity of females;
contains the developing fetus [syn: womb]
Based on WordNet 2.0
|
|
Uterus : \U"te*rus\, n. [L.]
1. (Anat.) The organ of a female mammal in which the young
are developed previous to birth; the womb.
Note: The uterus is simply an enlargement of the oviduct, and
in the lower mammals there is one on each side, but in
the higher forms the two become more or less completely
united into one. In many male mammals there is a small
vesicle, opening into the urinogenital canal, which
corresponds to the uterus of the female and is called
the male uterus, or [NL.] uterus masculinus.
2. (Zo["o]l.) A receptacle, or pouch, connected with the
oviducts of many invertebrates in which the eggs are
retained until they hatch or until the embryos develop
more or less. See Illust. of Hermaphrodite in Append.
Based on Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
|
|
Uterus : Uterus: The uterus (womb) is a hollow, pear-shaped organ located in a woman's lower abdomen between the bladder and the rectum. The narrow, lower portion of the uterus is the cervix; the
broader, upper part is the corpus. The corpus is made up of two layers of tissue. 
In women of childbearing age, the inner layer of the uterus (endometrium) goes through a series of monthly changes known as the menstrual cycle. Each month, endometrial tissue grows and thickens in
preparation to receive a fertilized egg. Menstruation occurs when this tissue is not used, disintegrates, and passes out through the vagina. The outer layer of the corpus (myometrium) is muscular
tissue that expands during pregnancy to hold the growing fetus and contracts during labor to deliver the child.
Based on Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
|
|
|
|
|
