Transverse colon

Transverse colon
Transverse colon
	Drawing ofcolonseen from front; (transverse colon coloured blue)
	Front ofabdomen,showing surface markings forliver,stomachandlarge intestine
Details
Precursor	Midgut(first 2/3)Hindgut(last 1/3)
Artery	Middle colic artery
Vein	Middle colic vein
Identifiers
Latin	colon transversum
MeSH	D044684
TA98	A05.7.03.004
TA2	2984
FMA	14546
	Anatomical terminology [edit on Wikidata]

Inhuman anatomy,thetransverse colonis the longest and most movable part of thecolon.

Anatomical position

It crosses theabdomenfrom theascending colonat theright colic flexure(hepatic flexure) with a downward convexity to thedescending colonwhere it curves sharply on itself beneath the lower end of thespleenforming theleft colic flexure(splenic 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 theperitoneum,and is connected to the inferior border of thepancreasby a large and wide duplicature of that membrane, thetransverse mesocolon.

It is in relation, by its upper surface, with theliverandgall-bladder,thegreater curvature of the stomach,and the lower end of thespleen;by its under surface, with thesmall intestine;by its anterior surface, with the posterior layer of thegreater omentumand theabdominal wall;its posterior surface is in relation from right to left with the descending portion of theduodenum,thehead of the pancreas,and some of the convolutions of thejejunumandileum.

Function

The transverse colon absorbs water and salts.

Additional images

1:Ascending colon
2: Transverse colon
3:Descending colon
4:Sigmoid colon
5:Rectum
Inner diameters of different sections of the large intestine, with transverse colon (at top) measuring on average 5.8 cm (range 5.0-6.5 cm).^[1]
Intestines
Schematic figure of the bursa omentalis, etc. The human embryo of eight weeks
Front view of the thoracic and abdominal viscera
Digestive system
Transverse colon