American Medical Association Family Medical Guide - American Medical Association [86]
Organs of the Lower Abdomen
The organs of the lower abdomen are involved primarily with reproduction and with removing wastes from the body (in urine and stool). The lower abdominal organs are sometimes called the pelvic organs. Except for the reproductive organs, these organs function the same way in both males and females.
The bladder, a muscular sac that is about 3 inches in diameter when full, stores urine until it is eliminated from the body through a tube called the urethra. The urethra is much longer in males than in females. Digested food passes from the stomach through the intestines and out of the body via the rectum and anus.
Male reproductive organs
In addition to the visible male genitals—the penis and testicles—a system of glands and ducts is located inside the abdomen. The internal male reproductive organs, which produce, store, and transport sperm, are the prostate gland, two seminal vesicles, and two tubes called the vas deferens.
Female reproductive organs
The female reproductive organs are located inside the pelvis. The ovaries, which contain a female’s eggs, are connected to the uterus on either side by a fallopian tube. During each menstrual cycle, a mature egg travels from an ovary through a fallopian tube into the uterus (ovulation).
Diagnostic imaging techniques
Diagnostic imaging is a branch of medicine that helps doctors diagnose medical disorders and is often used in addition to a physical examination and laboratory tests. For example, after taking a health history and performing a physical examination on a person who has a chronic cough, a doctor may recommend a chest X-ray to determine the cause of the cough. For a person who may have had a stroke, a doctor might recommend computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to examine the brain. These procedures can often find the cause of symptoms or narrow down the possible causes. In many imaging techniques (such as angiography), contrast mediums (dyes) or contrast agents (such as air or water) are used to make specific parts of the body easier to see.
X-rays, discovered in 1895, were the first imaging technique used for diagnosing medical problems. Ultrasound, which was developed in 1952 to evaluate fetuses and monitor pregnancies, uses sound waves to create an image. Diagnostic imaging advanced significantly in the 1960s with SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography), in the 1970s with the introduction of conventional CT scans, in the 1980s with MRI and PET (positron emission tomography), and in the 1990s with functional MRI (fMRI). New imaging techniques continue to be developed.
Using viewing devices called endoscopes, which are inserted directly into the body, doctors can see inside the body to evaluate tissues and organs and to perform procedures.
Imaging the Brain
With computerized imaging techniques such as MRIs and PET scans, doctors can look inside the living, thinking brain. These newer imaging techniques have improved the ability of doctors to diagnose and locate the site of brain disorders. The techniques have also enabled them to understand the relationship between different areas of the brain, to learn about the functions of specific areas of the brain, and to develop new treatments for brain disorders.
Brains of aggressive and nonaggressive teens
For these images, a technique called functional MRI (fMRI) shows brain activity (orange areas at top of images) in teens who have disruptive behavior disorder (which makes them aggressive) and in healthy, nonaggressive