How do all of our internal organs stay in their own spot and not move around or drop to other places in our body as we move?

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How do all of our internal organs stay in their own spot and not move around or drop to other places in our body as we move?

In: Biology

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Anonymous 0 Comments

The other comments hit the nail on the head. Connective tissue holds it all together, but what and where? One comment mentioned ligaments, which are definitely important in holding the reproductive tract, bladder, and liver. These ligaments also hold different structures together. E.g. the gastrosplenic ligament connects the stomach (gastro) to the spleen (splenic). The intestines are all adhered to the back of the abdominal cavity by mesentery, a thick band of connective tissue that ensures they stay in the spot they’re supposed to. These structures are so good at their job that you can pull out any given organ during surgery and it will go back exactly where it is supposed to, even if you pull tons of intestines out and put it back in. It doesn’t always work though and animals get mesenteric volvulus, where the organs flip around this band and cut off blood supply to almost all the intestines. This is fatal in nearly 100% of cases. Idk if it happens in humans, but I’d imagine it’s even more rare since we’re bipedal.

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