Transverse colon

Transverse colon
1: Ascending colon 2: Transverse colon 3: Descending colon 4: Sigmoid colon 5: Rectum
Front of abdomen, showing surface markings for liver, stomach, and great 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, the longest and most movable part of the colon, passes with a downward convexity from the right hypochondrium region across the abdomen, opposite the confines of the epigastric and umbilical zones, into the left hypochondrium region, where it curves sharply on itself beneath the lower end of the spleen, forming the splenic or left colic flexure. The right colic flexure is adjacent to the liver.

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 parietes; 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.

Additional images

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  Intestines

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

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  Front view of the thoracic and abdominal viscera.

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  The epiploic foramen, greater sac or general cavity (red) and lesser sac, or omental bursa (blue).

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  Digestive system

See also

• Colon (anatomy)

The transverse colon as well as the ascending colon are responsible for absorbing water and salts.

External links

• Transverse+colon at eMedicine Dictionary
• SUNY Figs 37:06-03 - "The large intestine."

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.