The uterus is a hollow, muscular organ located in the female pelvis between the bladder and rectum. It is a reproductive organ that plays a critical role in menstruation, fertility, pregnancy, and childbirth. The main functions of the uterus are:

• Pregnancy: The uterus stretches to grow the baby during pregnancy and can contract to help push the baby out of the vagina during childbirth.

• Fertility: The uterus is where a fertilized egg implants during conception and where the baby grows.

• Menstruation: The uterus is the site of menstruation, a 28-day hormone-controlled cycle in which the uterine lining proliferates to prepare for the implantation of a fertilized ovum and subsequently sheds if fertilization does not occur.

The uterus is a pear-shaped organ that looks like a light bulb and is about the size of a fist. It has two horn-like organs at the top called the fallopian tubes and connects to the cervix at the bottom, which is the part that opens during vaginal delivery. The uterus consists of three layers: the outermost protective layer called the perimetrium, the highly muscular middle layer called the myometrium, and the moist mucous membrane lining the uterine cavity called the endometrium. The uterus is supplied by branches of the uterine arteries, which branch off the internal iliac (hypogastric) artery.