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Transverse mesocolon: anatomy, location and function

The transverse mesocolon is a peritoneal fold attaching the transverse colon to the posterior abdominal wall. It carries the middle colic vessels, nerves and lymphatics to the transverse colon.

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Highlighted in the model: Transverse mesocolon. Click any part to read about it, or switch off “Highlight topic” to see the whole body. 3D data: BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science, CC BY 4.0; meshes simplified and recoloured. The model is an adult male.

Transverse mesocolon at a glance

What it is
The transverse mesocolon is a peritoneal fold attaching the transverse colon to the posterior abdominal wall.
Location
Its root runs along the anterior surface of the pancreas head and body and the descending duodenum, dividing the abdomen into supra- and inframesocolic compartments.
Function
It carries the middle colic vessels, nerves and lymphatics to the transverse colon.
Body system
Digestive · single, midline structure
FMA ID
FMA14647 (Foundational Model of Anatomy)

Key facts

  • It is continuous with the posterior layers of the greater omentum.
  • It separates the upper and lower parts of the peritoneal cavity.

Structures next to the transverse mesocolon

The nearest named structures in the 3D model, measured from the centre of each part:

References

  1. Foundational Model of Anatomy: Transverse mesocolon (FMA14647). EMBL-EBI Ontology Lookup Service.
  2. OpenStax. Anatomy and Physiology 2e, §23.1 Overview of the Digestive System. Rice University, 2022.
  3. Mitsuhashi N. et al. (2009). BodyParts3D: 3D structure database for anatomical concepts. Nucleic Acids Research 37, D782–D785. Data © The Database Center for Life Science, CC BY 4.0.

Explore the whole body in the interactive 3D human anatomy model, or browse the A–Z list of human structures.