| Transverse colon | |
|---|---|
 Drawing ofcolon seen from front (transverse colon coloured blue) | |
 | |
| Details | |
| Precursor | Midgut (first 2/3)Hindgut (last 1/3) |
| Artery | Middle colic artery |
| Vein | Middle colic vein |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | colon transversum |
| MeSH | D044684 |
| TA98 | A05.7.03.004 |
| TA2 | 2984 |
| FMA | 14546 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
Inhuman anatomy, thetransverse colon is the longest and most movable part of thecolon.
It crosses theabdomen from theascending colon at theright colic flexure (hepatic flexure) with a downward convexity to thedescending colon where it curves sharply on itself beneath the lower end of thespleen forming theleft colic flexure (splenic flexure).In its course, it describes an arch, the concavity of which is directed backward and a little upward. Toward its splenic end there is often an abrupt U-shaped curve which may descend lower than the main curve.
It is almost completely invested by theperitoneum, and is connected to the inferior border of thepancreas by a large and wide duplicature of that membrane, thetransverse mesocolon.
It is in relation, by its upper surface, with theliver andgall-bladder, thegreater curvature of the stomach, and the lower end of thespleen; by its under surface, with thesmall intestine; by its anterior surface, with the posterior layer of thegreater omentum and theabdominal wall; its posterior surface is in relation from right to left with the descending portion of theduodenum, thehead of the pancreas, and some of the convolutions of thejejunum andileum.
The transverse colon absorbs water and salts.
![Inner diameters of different sections of the large intestine, with transverse colon (at top) measuring on average 5.8 cm (range 5.0-6.5 cm).[1]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aDiameters_of_the_large_intestine.svg)
This article incorporates text in thepublic domain frompage 1180 of the 20th edition ofGray's Anatomy(1918)
