- Gubernaculum
Infobox Embryology
Name = PAGENAME
Latin = gubernaculum
GraySubject = 252
GrayPage = 1211
Caption = Sagittal section through the pelvis of a newly born female child. (Label for round ligament of uterus visible at upper right.)
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System =
Days = 60
CarnegieStage = | Precursor =Intermediate mesoderm
GivesRiseTo =Gubernaculum testis (males),suspensory ligament of ovary ,round ligament of uterus ,ovarian ligament (females)
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DorlandsPre = g_13
DorlandsSuf = 12403750The paired gubernacula are folds of
peritoneum that attach to the caudal end of thegonad s (testes in males and ovaries in females).Function during development
As the
scrotum andlabia majora form in males and females, respectively, the gubernaculum aids in the descent of the gonads (both testes and ovaries).The testes descend to a greater degree than the ovaries and ultimately pass through the
inguinal canal s.Adult structures
The gubernaculum is present only during the
development of the urinary and reproductive organs , being replaced by distinct vestiges in males and females.Males
In "males":
* The upper part of the gubernaculum degenerates.
* The lower part persists as the
gubernaculum testis ("scrotal ligament"). This ligament secures the testis to the most inferior portion of the scrotum, tethering it in place and limiting the degree to which the testis can move within the scrotum.Females
In "females":
* The upper part of the gubernaculum, together with the
ovarian artery and vein form thesuspensory ligament of the ovary , [EmbryologySwiss|ugenital/diffmorpho05] which suspends the ovary from the pelvic wall.* The lower gubernaculum has two vestigial remnants in females, the
ovarian ligament and theround ligament of the uterus ("ligamentum teres uteri") which respectively serve to support the ovaries and uterus in the pelvis.References
External links
* - "Inguinal Region, Scrotum and Testes: The Scrotal Ligament"
*
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