ELI5: Mesentery vs. peritoneum vs. omentum

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brulaz

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Time to be honest: I never fully understood what the differences are between those 3 (yes, I'm ashamed).
Sure, I knew enough to get me through my rotations but I'd like to finally understand this.

Could anyone provide a simple explanation of what those are and what differentiates one from the others?

Thank you

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mesentery is the interior walls of the house with plumbing and electric
plumbingpipes_0.jpg


omentum is the bulky insulation in the exterior walls
Certainteed_Batt-installed-on-attic-floor-by-professional.jpg


peritoneum is the tyvek housewrap:
housewrap.jpg
 
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The mesentery is the fatty fibrous tissue that connects the small bowel and large bowel to the body, serving the dual function of holding the bowel fixed loosely and containing the blood vessels that feed the bowel. The peritoneum is a very thin layer of tissue that covers the mesentery as well as the abdominal wall and diaphragm, keeping them smooth and non-reactive. Alternatively the peritoneum can be considered the cavity in which the organs abdominal organs reside, or you could call that the peritoneal cavity. The omentum is an entirely different organ than the mesentery, and is a fatty drape that covers the bowel and serves the purpose of cushioning and walling off insults in the peritoneal cavity. For this reason it is sometimes referred to as the abdominal policeman. On gross inspection there is a different texture and quality to the omentum that allows you to tell it apart easily from the mesentery. Omental fat is globular and rough, the mesentery is smooth and uniform, and covered in peritoneum.
 
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