The abdomen and pelvis model can be used to explore a number of anatomical regions in addition to just the abdomen and the pelvis. For example, over here we can nicely see structures of the inguinal region and on a deeper dissection we can see femoral triangle structures. External female genitalia and then posteriorly. We can see structures of the gluteal region. This triangle here is the anal fossa, and here we have the cord equina of the lumbar vertebral region.
I'm going to spend just a little time covering some of the basic structures that we can see of the abdomen and the pelvis, starting with the anterior abdominal wall. We can see some of the muscles that make up the wall. Here we see vessels here and here. This is inferior epigastric artery. Special care has been taken to assure that we can see the different membranes associated with the anterior abdominal wall.
On the next layer down, we can begin to appreciate some of the viscera of the abdominal cavity. Here we have the liver. And then for context, we have the lung and the diaphragm. We can also use this layer to start looking at structures of the Foregut, Midgut and hindgut. Here's the stomach of the Foregut and of the Midgut. Here's the small bowel ascending colon and transverse colon of the Hindgut. We have the distal transverse colon and back here we have the descending colon and even part of the sigmoid colon there. This cut membrane here is parietal peritoneum. We can use that to begin to appreciate some of the retroperitoneal structures, or in this case, sub peritoneal structures such as the uterus and down here, the bladder.
On the next layer down, some of the parietal peritoneum has been further cut to reveal some of these additional retroperitoneal structures.
For example, here the peritoneum has been cut to reveal pelvic structures. Here. It has been reflected to show us the kidney. And here there's a line of peritoneum that's been cut to show us the right common iliac artery right there. We can also see a number of additional retroperitoneal structures such as back here is a grossly enlarged lymph node. And over here we have lymphatic vessels.
Now, sadly, this individual had abdominal cancer that prevents us from being able to explore some of the foregut structures. I'm going to skip two layers now. To show all of the retroperitoneal structures that we can see. I'll just talk about a couple of them. For example, here we have the entire kidney as well as the ureter back there. We can also see the psoas major muscle back here along with some of the nerves of the lumbar plexus. This is the femoral cutaneous nerve. Back here. We can also see things like the inferior vena cava and the common iliac arteries. We can also see in the pelvis, the uterus and ovary. And down here we have the bladder.
On the next layer down. We can see other additional structures of the kidney. For example, back here we have calluses and here is even a renal pyramid. This is a good model to explore the arteries of the pelvic cavity. Here we have the internal iliac artery and all of its branches.
And on the last layer down. We have an opportunity to explore some of the deep pelvic structures. Here's the pelvic floor down here, and here are the nerves of the sacral plexus. And we can even see autonomic nervous fibers down there.
