Gubernaculum
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| Gubernaculum | ||
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| Sagittal section through the pelvis of a newly born female child. (Label for round ligament of uterus visible at upper right.) | ||
| Latin | gubernaculum | |
| Gray's | subject #252 1211 | |
| Precursor | Intermediate mesoderm | |
| Gives rise to | Gubernaculum testis (males), suspensory ligament of ovary, round ligament of uterus, ovarian ligament (females) | |
| Dorlands/Elsevier | g_13/12403750 | |
The paired gubernacula are folds of peritoneum that attach to the caudal end of the gonads (testes in males and ovaries in females). As the scrotum and labia majora form in males and females, respectively, the gubernaculum aids in the descent of the gonads (both testes and ovaries). The testis descends to a greater degree than the ovary and ultimately pass through the inguinal canal.
The gubernaculum is present only during fetal development, being replaced by distinct vestiges in males and females. In males, the upper part of the gubernaculum degenerates, and the lower part persists as the gubernaculum testis ("scrotal ligament"). This ligament secures the testis to the most inferior portion of the scrotum, tethering it in place and limiting the degree to which the testis can move within the scrotum. In females, the upper part of the gubernaculum, together with the ovarian artery and vein form the suspensory ligament of the ovary,[1] which suspends the ovary from the pelvic wall. The lower gubernaculum has two vestigial remnants in females, the ovarian ligament and the round ligament of the uterus (ligamentum teres uteri) which respectively serve to support the ovaries and uterus in the pelvis.
[edit] External links
- SUNY Labs 36:06-0101 - "Inguinal Region, Scrotum and Testes: The Scrotal Ligament"
- Dictionary at eMedicine Gubernaculum
- ^ Swiss embryology (from UL, UB, and UF) ugenital/diffmorpho05
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