Uterus

The uterus is a hollow muscular organ located in the female pelvis between the bladder and rectum. The ovaries produce the eggs that travel through the fallopian tubes. Once the egg has left the ovary it can be fertilized and implant itself in the lining of the uterus. The main function of the uterus is to nourish the developing fetus prior to birth. Uterus, also called womb, an inverted pear-shaped muscular organ of the female reproductive system, located between the bladder and the rectum. It functions to nourish and house a fertilized egg until the unborn child, or offspring, is ready to be delivered. The uterus has four major regions: the fundus is the broad curved upper area in which the fallopian tubes connect to the uterus; the body, the main part of the uterus, starts directly below the level of the fallopian tubes and continues downward until the uterine walls and cavity begin to narrow; the isthmus is the lower, narrow neck region; and the lowest section, the cervix, extends downward from the isthmus until it opens into the vagina. The uterus is 6 to 8 cm (2.4 to 3.1 inches) long; its wall thickness is approximately 2 to 3 cm (0.8 to 1.2 inches). The width of the organ varies; it is generally about 6 cm wide at the fundus and only half this distance at the isthmus. The uterine cavity opens into the vaginal cavity, and the two make up what is commonly known as the birth canal.