greater omentum

(noun)

A large fold of visceral peritoneum that hangs down from the stomach.

Related Terms

Examples of greater omentum in the following topics:

  • Gross Anatomy of the Stomach

    • The greater omentum hangs from the greater curvature.

  • The Peritoneum

    • The first is the greater sac or general cavity of the abdomen.
    • The gastrohepatic omentum is attached to the lesser curvature of the stomach and the liver.
    • The gastrocolic omentum hangs from the greater curve of the stomach and loops down in front of the intestines before curving upwards to attach to the transverse colon.
    • This is a midsagittal, cross-section drawing of the epiploic foramen, the greater sac or general cavity (red), and the lesser sac or omental bursa (blue).

  • Abdominal Aorta

    • It is covered anteriorly by the lesser omentum and stomach.

  • The Hyoid Bone

    • The hyoid bone consists of a central body and two pairs of cornua, or horns, termed greater and lesser cornua.
    • The greater horns project backwards from the body and provide a platform for key muscles and ligaments to attach to including the stylohyoid and throhyoid muscles.
    • As with the greater cornua the lesser cornua provide a platform for muscle and ligament attachment specifically for the stylohyoid ligament.
    • The hyoid ossifies towards the end of fetal development, commencing in the greater cornua before completing in the body shortly after birth.
    • The greater cornua and body are initially connected by fibrous material although this ossifies towards middle age.

  • False and True Pelves

    • The false (greater) pelvis is larger and superior to the true (lesser) pelvis where the pelvic inlet is located.
    • Depending on what is included in the description these groupings are often termed true (lesser) or false (greater) pelves.
    • Others define the pelvic cavity as the larger space including the false greater pelvis, just above the pelvic inlet .
    • The false (or greater) pelvis is bounded on either side by the ilium.
    • The greater pelvis (yellow) is larger and superior to the lesser pelvis (red) where the pelvic inlet is located.

  • Femur (The Thigh)

    • It is narrower than the head to permit a greater range of movement at the hip joint.
    • Located superiorly on the main shaft, lateral to the joining of the neck, the greater trochanter is a projection to which the abductor and lateral rotator muscles of the leg attach.
    • A much smaller projection than the greater trochanter, the psoas major and iliacus muscles attach here.
    • Due to the widening of the female pelvis this angle is greater in women and can lead to increased knee instability.

  • Effects of Exercise on the Heart

    • A sedentary and inactive lifestyle is associated with greater risk for hypertension, cardiac hypertrophy, atherosclerosis, and myocardial infarctions, due to the metabolic changes that accompany a sedentary lifestyle.
    • Aerobic conditioning and cardiovascular fitness are determining factors in athletic performance in events with duration greater than two minutes.
    • A stronger heart does not pump blood faster but does pump it more forcefully with a greater ejection fraction, suggesting more efficient cardiac output.
    • Chronic exercise results in increased pumping efficiency, a greater filling capacity and greater responsiveness of the heart to increased energy demands.

  • Premature Infants

    • Preterm birth causes infants to be at greater risk for complications, disabilities, and impaired growth.
    • Premature infants are at greater risk for short and long term complications, including disabilities and impediments in growth and mental development.
    • Prematurity can be reduced to a small extent by using drugs to accelerate maturation of the fetus, and to a greater extent by preventing preterm birth.
    • The shorter the term of pregnancy, the greater the risks of mortality and morbidity for the baby primarily due to the related prematurity.
    • Preterm children are at a greater risk for having poor connectivity between these areas, leading to learning disabilities.

  • Lymphatic Capillaries

    • When pressure is greater in the interstitial fluid than in lymph due to accumulation of interstitial fluid, the minivalves separate slightly like the opening of a one-way swinging door so that fluid can enter the lymphatic capillary.
    • When pressure is greater inside the lymphatic capillary, the cells adhere more closely to each other to prevent lymph backflow.
    • Lymph capillaries have a greater oncotic pressure (a pulling pressure exerted by proteins in solution) than blood plasma due to the greater concentration of plasma proteins in lymph.
    • Additionally, the greater size of lymphatic capillaries compared to cardiovascular capillaries allows them to take more fluid proteins into lymph compared to plasma, which is the other reason for their greater levels of oncotic pressure.

  • How Skeletal Muscles Are Named

    • Fusiform muscles are more spindle shaped (their diameter at the center is greater than at either end), whereas, non-fusiform muscles are more rectangular with a constant diameter.
    • Despite this they generate greater tension because they possess a greater amount of muscle fibers than similarly sized parallel muscles.