Round ligament of liver
Encyclopedia
- For other structures with similar name, see round ligamentRound ligamentIn human anatomy, the term round ligament can refer to several structures:* Round ligament of uterus, also known as the ligamentum teres uteri...
.
In anatomy
Anatomy
Anatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy...
, the round ligament of (the) liver (also commonly known by its Latin name, ligamentum teres - or more specifically ligamentum teres hepatis as the human body
Human body
The human body is the entire structure of a human organism, and consists of a head, neck, torso, two arms and two legs.By the time the human reaches adulthood, the body consists of close to 100 trillion cells, the basic unit of life...
has three round ligament
Round ligament
In human anatomy, the term round ligament can refer to several structures:* Round ligament of uterus, also known as the ligamentum teres uteri...
s in total) is a degenerative string of tissue that exists in the free edge of the falciform ligament of the liver. Anatomically, the round ligament divides the left part of the liver into medial and lateral sections.
The round ligament represents the remnant of the fetal umbilical vein
Umbilical vein
The umbilical vein is a vein present during fetal development that carries oxygenated blood from the placenta to the growing fetus.The blood pressure inside the umbilical vein is approximately 20 mmHg.-Development:...
. The round ligament therefore only exists in mammals. Prenatally and for a month or two after birth, the umbilical vein is patent, subsequently degenerating to fibrous tissue, the round ligament.
The umbilical vein/round ligament inserts around the umbilicus
Navel
The navel is a scar on the abdomen caused when the umbilical cord is removed from a newborn baby...
and is an important landmark of the inner surface of the anterior abdominal wall.