Abdomen: Encyclopedia - Abdomen

Abdomen

The abdomen is a part of the body. In humans, and in many other vertebrates, it is the region between the thorax and the pelvis. In fully developed insects the abdomen is the third (or posterior) segment, after the head and thorax.

Abdomen - Vertebrates

The abdomen contains several organs:

• part of the digestive system (stomach, liver, and intestines),
• the entire urinary system (kidneys, bladder).
• the internal reproductive organs (ovaries, fallopian tubes and uterus in women, testis, Vas deferens and prostate in men)

The abdomen contains some of the largest and most easily accessible bloodvessels in many animals, and is often used in medicine and experimentation for catheterisation.

The abdomen is often coloured differently from the rest of the body.

Abdomen - Platypus

Female platypuses don't have nipples with which to nurse their young, but they have pores in their abdomen that they can use to fill grooves in the abdomen with milk.

Abdomen - Insects

In insects the abdomen is the third or posterior segment of adults.

Abdomen - Bee

Honeybees use their abdomen in communication. They dance, waggling their abdomen, to communicate the location and amount of resources such as food.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Abdomen", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki