130 HANDBOOK OF ANATOMY 



kidney a thin-walled funnel-shaped sac formed by the junc- 

 tion of several calyces inside the kidney; the pelvis rapidly 

 narrows to form the ureter. 



The Ureter is a duct with a small lumen and thick muscular 

 walls. It is about 9 inches in length. The upper half or rather 

 more lies in the abdominal cavity, the rest in the pelvis. The 

 ureter passes downwards and inwards lying on psoas, and, 

 crossing the iliac artery, it enters the pelvis. It then passes, 

 down on the side wall of the pelvis under the peritoneum,, 

 curving backwards close to the great sciatic notch. At the level 

 of the ischial spine it bends inwards and enters the bladder 

 about an inch from the middle line. 



The Pelvic Organs. The pelvis contains the bladder, the 

 rectum, and the internal genital organs. The bladder lies an- 

 teriorly close against the pubic bones, the rectum posteriorly 

 close against the sacrum (see Section VI.), and the internal 

 genital organs between the two. They are all covered 

 superiorly by peritoneum. 



The bladder is a hollow organ with muscular walls capable of 

 great distension. When empty and contracted, it lies entirely in 

 the pelvis just behind the symphysis pubis ; when distended, it 

 rises above the pelvis into the abdominal cavity. Superiorly it 

 is covered by peritoneum reflected from the anterior abdominal 

 wall and the sides of the pelvis, and is in relation with the coils; 

 of the small intestine. The under surface lies on the symphysis 

 pubis and the bodies of the pubic bones; externally it is in contact 

 with the levator ani and obturator internus muscles on each 

 side. Posteriorly it is separated from the rectum by the uterus 

 and vagina in the female, and the seminal vesicles in the male. 

 The lower part of the bladder only moves in position very 

 slightly; during distension the side and upper walls expand 

 and rise into the abdominal cavity. In the posterior wall of 

 the bladder are the openings of the two ureters and the urethra. 

 The three openings form an equilateral triangle with the apex 

 downwards and the sides are about I inch long. 



