Mesentery

This article is about the mesentery in humans. For mesentery in other animals, see Mesentery (zoology).
Mesentery
Mesentery extending from the duodenojejunal flexure to the ileocecal junction
Details
Pronunciation/ˈmɛzənˌtɛri/
SystemDigestive system
Identifiers
Latinmesenterium
MeSHD008643
TA98A10.1.02.007
TA23740
FMA7144
Anatomical terminology

In human anatomy, the mesentery, an organ that attaches the intestines to the posterior abdominal wall, comprises the double fold of the peritoneum. It helps (among other functions) in storing fat and allowing blood vessels, lymphatics, and nerves to supply the intestines.[1]

The mesocolon (the part of the mesentery that attaches the colon to the abdominal wall) was formerly thought to be a fragmented structure, with all named parts—the ascending, transverse, descending, and sigmoid mesocolons, the mesoappendix, and the mesorectum—separately terminating their insertion into the posterior abdominal wall.[2] However, in 2012, new microscopic and electron microscopic examinations showed the mesocolon to be a single structure derived from the duodenojejunal flexure and extending to the distal mesorectal layer.[2][3] Thus the mesentery is an internal organ.[4][5]

  1. ^ "Definition of Mesentery". MedicineNet. Retrieved 2018-04-21.
  2. ^ a b Coffey, JC (August 2013). "Surgical anatomy and anatomic surgery - Clinical and scientific mutualism". The Surgeon. 11 (4): 177–82. doi:10.1016/j.surge.2013.03.002. PMID 23597667.
  3. ^ Coffey JC, Sehgal R, Culligan K, et al. (June 2014). "Terminology and nomenclature in colonic surgery: universal application of a rule-based approach derived from updates on mesenteric anatomy". Techniques in Coloproctology. 18 (9): 789–94. doi:10.1007/s10151-014-1184-2. PMID 24968936. S2CID 20276149.
  4. ^ "Irish surgeon identifies emerging area of medical science". 22 December 2020.
  5. ^ Beth Mole, The human body may have a new organ—the mesentery (arstechnica.com, 4 January 2017)