Uterus

Uterus
Diagram of human uterus and surrounding structures
Details
Precursor	Paramesonephric ducts
System	Reproductive system
Artery	Ovarian artery and uterine artery
Vein	Uterine veins
Lymph	Body and cervix to internal iliac lymph nodes, fundus to para-aortic lymph nodes, lumbar and superficial inguinal lymph nodes
Identifiers
Latin	uterus
Greek	ὑστέρα (hystéra)
MeSH	D014599
TA98	A09.1.03.001
TA2	3500
FMA	17558
Anatomical terminology [edit on Wikidata]

The uterus (from Latin uterus, pl.: uteri or uteruses) or womb (/wuːm/) is the organ in the reproductive system of most female mammals, including humans, that accommodates the embryonic and fetal development of one or more fertilized eggs until birth.^[1] The uterus is a hormone-responsive sex organ that contains glands in its lining that secrete uterine milk for embryonic nourishment. (The term uterus is also applied to analogous structures in some non-mammalian animals.)

In the human, the lower end of the uterus is a narrow part known as the isthmus that connects to the cervix, the anterior gateway leading to the vagina. The upper end, the body of the uterus, is connected to the fallopian tubes at the uterine horns; the rounded part, the fundus, is above the openings to the fallopian tubes. The connection of the uterine cavity with a fallopian tube is called the uterotubal junction. The fertilized egg is carried to the uterus along the fallopian tube. It will have divided on its journey to form a blastocyst that will implant itself into the lining of the uterus – the endometrium, where it will receive nutrients and develop into the embryo proper, and later fetus, for the duration of the pregnancy.

In the human embryo, the uterus develops from the paramesonephric ducts, which fuse into the single organ known as a simplex uterus. The uterus has different forms in many other animals and in some it exists as two separate uteri known as a duplex uterus.

In medicine and related professions, the term uterus is consistently used, while the Germanic-derived term womb is commonly used in everyday contexts. Events occurring within the uterus are described with the term in utero.