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abdomen
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abdominal organs Encyclopædia Britannica, first edition, art: human thorax and abdomen anterior view of the abdominal cavity beetle allometry
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abdominal organs
abdominal organs The abdominal organs are supported and protected by the bones of the pelvis and ribcage and are covered by the greater omentum, a fold of peritoneum that consists mainly of fat.

abdomen

anatomy
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Encyclopædia Britannica, first edition, art: human thorax and abdomen
Encyclopædia Britannica, first edition, art: human thorax and abdomenIllustration of the organs in the human abdomen and thorax from the first edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica, vol. 1, plate XIX, figure 1.

abdomen, in human anatomy, the body cavity lying between the chest or thorax above and the pelvis below and from the spine in the back to the wall of abdominal muscles in the front. The diaphragm is its upper boundary. There is no wall or clear-cut boundary between it and the pelvis. It contains organs of digestion and the spleen, which are surrounded by a serous membrane, the peritoneum.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Michael Ray.