Transverse colon

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Transverse colon
Drawing of colon seen from front
(transverse colon coloured blue)
Front of abdomen, showing surface markings for liver, stomach and large intestine
Latin Colon transversum
Gray's subject #249 1180
Artery Middle colic artery
Vein Middle colic vein
Precursor Midgut (first 2/3) Hindgut (last 1/3)

The transverse colon is the longest and most movable part of the colon. It crosses the abdomen from the ascending colon at the hepatic or right colic flexure with a downward convexity to the descending colon where it curves sharply on itself beneath the lower end of the spleen forming the splenic or left colic flexure. In its course, it describes an arch, the concavity of which is directed backward and a little upward. Toward its splenic end there is often an abrupt U-shaped curve which may descend lower than the main curve.

It is almost completely invested by peritoneum, and is connected to the inferior border of the pancreas by a large and wide duplicature of that membrane, the transverse mesocolon.

It is in relation, by its upper surface, with the liver and gall-bladder, the greater curvature of the stomach, and the lower end of the spleen; by its under surface, with the small intestine; by its anterior surface, with the anterior layers of the greater omentum and the abdominal wall; its posterior surface is in relation from right to left with the descending portion of the duodenum, the head of the pancreas, and some of the convolutions of the jejunum and ileum.

The transverse colon absorbs water and salts.

Additional images

  • 1: Ascending colon
    2: Transverse colon
    3: Descending colon
    4: Sigmoid colon
    5: Rectum

  • Intestines

  • Schematic figure of the bursa omentalis, etc. Human embryo of eight weeks

  • Front view of the thoracic and abdominal viscera

  • Digestive system

  • Transverse colon

See also

References

This article incorporates text from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy.

External links

Anatomy of torso, digestive system: Gastrointestinal tract, excluding mouth (TA A05.3–7, TH H3.04.02-04, GA 11.1141)
Upper GI
Hypo- pharynx
Lower GI
Layers
  • no substructures
Layers

M: DIG

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noco/cong/tumr, sysi/epon

proc, drug (A2A/2B/3/4/5/6/7/14/16), blte


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