Abdomen / Abdominal
noun / adjective
Abdomen refers to the part of the body, on a mammal, located between the pelvis and the thorax. See belly. Abdominal refers to this area.
The structures contained in the abdomen or belly as some people refer to it is the liver, spleen, stomach, duodenum, appendix, gallbladder, kidneys, pancreas, colon, rectum, small intestine, and large intestine.
The abdomen is a very important function of the body. It contains many important organs and other structures that process the foods we eat. The abdomen is separated from the lung cavity by diaphragm – a very powerful muscle. If the diaphragm is punctured during an accident, the contents of the abdominal cavity will push up into the chest area. If a person eats too much food, the pressure of the food pushes up on the diaphragm making a very uncomfortable feeling when trying to breathe.
Trauma to the abdominal area can be life threatening and very painful. Surgeries of the abdominal area can be a simple as removing the appendix and going home the same day to having part of the large intestine removed and being left with an ostomy bag to catch the feces. Proper eating habits and exercise are the best remedy to preventing abdominal problems and surgery.
The word abdomen is derived from the Latin word “abdodere” which means to hide. The name evolved from the thought process that whatever was eaten was hidden inside the abdomen.
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