腹膜 | 腹腔、メソテリウム、漿膜

Peritoneum | Abdominal Cavity, Mesothelium, Serous Membrane | Britannica Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos peritoneum Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics Images Quizzes What Lies Beneath the Skin: A Human Anatomy Quiz Contents CITE verified Cite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/science/peritoneum Feedback External Websites Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. External Websites Teach Me Anatomy - The Peritoneum Pressbook - The Peritoneum National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Peritoneum American Journal of Roentgenology - MRI of the Peritoneum: Spectrum of Abnormalities CORE - The peritoneum: healing, immunity and diseases (PDF) Frontiers - The Peritoneum: Beyond the Tissue � A Review Medicine LibreTexts - The Peritoneum Scientific Reports - Quantitative Histomorphometry of the Healthy Peritoneum Cleveland Clinic - Peritoneum peritoneum anatomy Ask Anything Homework Help Written and fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Apr. 9, 2026 • History Britannica AI Ask Anything Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask Anything peritoneum , large membrane in the abdominal cavity that connects and supports internal organs. It is composed of many folds that pass between or around the various organs. Two folds are of primary importance: the omentum , which hangs in front of the stomach and intestine; and the mesentery , which attaches the small intestine and much of the large intestine to the posterior abdominal cavity. The omentum and mesentery contain blood vessels, nerves, lymph nodes, fat, elastic fibres for stretching, and collagen fibres for strength. The omentum is thinner than the mesentery and is lacy in appearance. It contains large quantities of fat that serve to keep the organs warm. The mesentery is fan-shaped and well-supplied with blood vessels that radiate to the intestine. The functions of these membranes are to prevent friction between closely packed organs by secreting serum that acts as a lubricant, to help hold the abdominal organs in their proper positions, to separate and unite organs, and to guard as a barrier against infection. Related Topics: membrane abdominal cavity mesentery omentum peritoneal cavity (Show more) On the Web: National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Peritoneum (Apr. 09, 2026) (Show more) See all related content Britannica Quiz What Lies Beneath the Skin: A Human Anatomy Quiz Peritonitis , an inflammation of the peritoneum, results from bacteria entering a perforation in the gastrointestinal tract . A ruptured appendix is a common cause of peritonitis. Symptoms include abdominal pain, vomiting, and fever. If antibiotics do not prove successful, surgery may be necessary to remove the source of the infection entirely.