676 ORGANS OF DIGESTION. 



The longitudinal ligament (broad, falciform, or suspensory ligament) is a broad 

 and thin an tero- posterior peritoneal fold, falciform in shape, its base being directed 

 forwards, its apex backwards. It is attached by one margin to the under surface 

 of the Diaphragm, and the posterior surface of the sheath of the right Eectus 

 muscle as low down as the umbilicus ; by its hepatic margin, it extends from the 

 notch on the anterior margin of the liver, as far back as its posterior border. It 

 consists of two layers of peritoneum closely united together. Its anterior free 

 edge contains between its layers the round ligament. 



The lateral ligaments, two in number, right and left, are triangular in shape. 

 They are formed of two layers of peritoneum united, and extend from the sides 

 of the Diaphragm to the adjacent margins of the posterior border of the liver. 

 The left is the longer of the two, and lies in front of the oesophageal opening in 

 the Diaphragm ; the right lies in front of the inferior vena cava. 



The coronary ligament connects the posterior border of the liver to the Diaphragm. 



It is formed by the reflection of the peritoneum from the Diaphragm on to the 

 upper and lower margins of the posterior border of the organ. The coronary 



Fig. 341. The Liver. Upper Surface. 



ligament consists of two layers, which are continuous on each side with the lateral 

 ligaments, and, in front, with the longitudinal ligament. Between the layers, a 

 large oval interspace is left uncovered by peritoneum, and connected to the 

 Diaphragm by firm areolar tissue. This space is subdivided, near its left extremity, 

 into two parts by a deep notch (sometimes a canal), which lodges the inferior 

 vena cava, and into which open the hepatic veins. 



The round ligament is a fibrous cord, resulting from the obliteration of the 

 umbilical vein. It ascends from the umbilicus in the anterior free margin of the 

 longitudinal ligament, to the notch in the anterior border of the liver, from which 

 it may be traced along the longitudinal fissure on the under surface of the liver, 

 as far back as the inferior vena cava. 



FISSUEES. Five fissures are seen upon the under surface of the liver, which 

 serve to divide it into five lobes. They are the longitudinal fissure, the fissure of 

 the ductus venosus, the transverse fissure, the fissure for the gall-bladder, and the 

 fissure for the vena cava. 



The longitudinal fissure is a deep groove, which extends from the notch on the 

 anterior margin of the liver, to the posterior border of the organ. It separates 

 the right and left lobes ; the transverse fissure joins it, at right angles, about 



