The cervix or cervix uteri is a dynamic fibromuscular organ of the female reproductive system that connects the vagina with the uterine cavity. The human cervix has been documented anatomically since at least the time of Hippocrates, over 2,000 years ago. The cervix is approximately 4 cm long with a diameter of approximately 3 cm and tends to be described as a cylindrical shape, although the front and back walls of the cervix are contiguous. The size of the cervix changes throughout a women's life cycle. For example, during their fertile years of the reproductive cycle, females tend to have a larger cervix vis á vis postmenopausal females; likewise, females who have produced offspring have a larger sized cervix than females who have not produced offspring.
The umbilical artery is a paired artery that is found in the abdominal and pelvic regions. In the fetus, it extends into the umbilical cord.
The internal iliac artery is the main artery of the pelvis.
The femoral nerve is a nerve in the thigh that supplies skin on the upper thigh and inner leg, and the muscles that extend the knee. It is the largest branch of the lumbar plexus.
The uterine artery is an artery that supplies blood to the uterus in females.
The lateral sacral arteries is an artery in the pelvis that arises from the posterior division of the internal iliac artery. It later splits into two smaller branches, a superior and an inferior.
The middle rectal artery is an artery in the pelvis that supplies blood to the rectum.
The inferior vesical artery is an artery of the pelvis which arises from the internal iliac artery and supplies parts of the urinary bladder as well as other structures of the urinary system and structures of the male reproductive system.
The inferior rectal artery is an artery that supplies blood to the lower third of the anal canal below the pectinate line.
The perineal nerve is a nerve of the pelvis. It arises from the pudendal nerve in the pudendal canal. It gives superficial branches to the skin, and a deep branch to muscles. It supplies the skin and muscles of the perineum. Its latency is tested with electrodes.
The ovarian artery is an artery that supplies oxygenated blood to the ovary in females. It arises from the abdominal aorta below the renal artery. It can be found within the suspensory ligament of the ovary, anterior to the ovarian vein and ureter.
The posterior ethmoidal nerve is a nerve of the head. It is a branch of the nasociliary nerve (itself a branch of the ophthalmic nerve (CN V1)). It provides sensory innervation to the sphenoid sinus and ethmoid sinus, and part of the dura mater in the anterior cranial fossa.
The uterine artery supplies branches to the cervix uteri and others which descend on the vagina; the latter anastomose with branches of the vaginal arteries and form with them two median longitudinal vessels—the vaginal branches of uterine artery —one of which runs down in front of and the other behind the vagina.
The superior rectal artery is an artery that descends into the pelvis to supply blood to the rectum.
The internal iliac vein begins near the upper part of the greater sciatic foramen, passes upward behind and slightly medial to the internal iliac artery and, at the brim of the pelvis, joins with the external iliac vein to form the common iliac vein.
The dorsal artery of the penis is an artery on the top surface of the penis. It is a branch of the internal pudendal artery. It runs forward on the dorsum of the penis to the glans, where it divides into two branches to the glans penis and the foreskin (prepuce).
The vaginal venous plexus is a group of veins draining blood from the vagina. It lies around the sides of the vagina. Its blood eventually drains into the internal iliac veins.
Vesical arteries are variable in number. They supply the bladder and terminal ureter. The two most prominent are the superior vesical artery and the inferior vesical artery. The superior vesical artery comes off of the internal iliac artery and sometimes the umbilical artery. The inferior vesical artery comes off of the internal iliac artery. The inferior vesical artery is a pelvic branch of the internal iliac artery in men; and in women it branches from the vaginal artery. This literature has been reviewed recently with observations of variation in pelvic vascularization and the close relationship between vaginal and bladder vascularization in women.
The uterine vein is a vein of the uterus. It is found in the cardinal ligament. It drains into the internal iliac vein. It follows a similar course to the uterine artery. It helps to drain blood from the uterus, and removes waste from blood in the placenta during pregnancy.
This glossary of medical terms is a list of definitions about medicine, its sub-disciplines, and related fields.
