الفهرس 
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Abstract
The peritoneum, the largest and most complexly arranged of the serous membranes, is an empty and intricately folded sac,lining the abdomen and reflected over the viscera. In males it is a closed sac: in females the lateral end of the uterine tubes open into the sac’s potential cavity. where it lines the abdominal wall (parieties) it is named the parietal peritoneum and is reflected over the viscera as the visceral peritoneum. Its free surface is covered by a layer of mesothelium, kept moist and smooth by a film of serous fluid , hence mobile viscera glide freely on the abdominal wall and each other within limits dictated by their attachments. Sessile
organs are covered by peritoneum wherever they are in contact with mobile viscera.The peritoneal cavity is a coelom- a discontinuity in the mesoderm lined by an epithelium (mesothelium) which maintains the surface. Loss of this rnesothelium leads to the adherence of underlying tissues and interference with visceral function, which may be serious and even lethal, providing convincing evidence of an essential function of the serosa, separating of the viscera sufficiently for unimpeded activity(’).