UTERUS (WOMB) -
- Large, pyriform, highly elastic. Development of embryo takes place in it.
- It is located above and behind the urinnary bladder. Attached to body wall by mesometrium ligament.
- In nulliparous woman, it is about 8 cm long 5 cm wide 2 cm thick, weighting 10-15 gms. Some what larger in multiparous woman.
- It shows four regions -
(i) Upper wide, dom shaped fundus that receives fallopian tubes.
(ii) Cornuae the upper corners where the oviducts enter into uterus.
(iii) Middle large body or corpus which is the main part.
(iv) Lower narrow cervix that projects into vagina.
- Cervix communicates with uterus by internal os. and with vagina by external os.
- Cavity of cervix between external and internal os. is cervical canal. It is 2.5 cm long.
- Cervix is composed of the biggest and most powerful sphinctor muscles in the body. It is strong enough to hold about 7 kg of foetus fluid.
- In the wall of uterus outer layer is perimetrium, middle myometrium & inner endometrium.
- Myometrium consists of inner & outer of longt. muscles and middle circular muscles. Longest involuntary muscles present here.
- The cavity of uterus can be expanded 500 times during pregnancy from 10 cm3 to 5000 cm3.